Blood
by Snow Tempest
Summary: A girl from the twenty-first century dies and becomes a vampire. But she isn't in Montana anymore; now she lives in Middle Earth. Her hunger for blood leads people to belive she is evil. But when she joins the fellowship, can they see another side to her? Maybe a certan elf...
1. Heartbeat Gone

Kali woke to the sound of leaves stirring in the wind. She sat up, and realized that she wasn't in Montana anymore. She sat in the middle of a sun filled forest. She stood up slowly, carful to not disturb a single leaf. _I remember… a truck coming out from nowhere and hitting me on my side here, then this…. Where am I?_ Sunlight filtered down through the fiery colored leaves on her. No sounds but her breathing filled the air, and that's when she realized that something was completely wrong; she didn't feel her heart beat. It was gone, that pulse that she took for granted was no more. She waited to fall over and die, but she didn't, she reached up and touched where her heart was; nothing, no sound, no feeling. _This is freaky…_ she thought. _Maybe I'm in a coma after I got hit by that truck and this is all a dream. Else this is heaven._ She reached her hand out and touched the trunk of a tree lightly; she traced the bark with her finger, _I can still feel, that's good._ She walked slowly around; her body felt like it normally did, except lighter. She licked her lips, for a moment her tongue brushed the tips of her canine teeth. Sharp, they were sharp. She reached a hand up and felt them; they were longer, pointier, and more vampire-like. _This dream gets stranger and stranger, now I'm a vampire_. Off deeper in the woods, grunts and roars came sounded, followed by clanks and sounds of metal chopping wood. She licked her lips again and she felt a rising hunger… _Do I want whoever's blood that is? Let's see_…

She let her instincts take over, she bit down hard on whatever came at her, the goblin screeched in pain and hissed, now missing a limb. His arm had come off at the shoulder from where she had bitten him. His blood tasted really bad, but it filled Kali with a feeling of satiation. She bit into the same goblin again, but another came from behind, she kicked, fangs still in her prey, at the other one. Then she let go of the dead goblin and turned her full attention to the other one. She took him down easily, it helped that he was half her size. After she had killed all four of the small creatures, she realized for the first time that they were of an unknown species to her. She examined the fragile bone structure of one of them and the green-grey skin that they had. _Curiouser and curiouser…_ she thought giddily. _I might as well explore now that my hunger is gone,_ and so she continued on her way through the woods that had so enchanted her.

Having no heart beat ever scared her more than when she lay there alone that night on the forest floor. She tossed and turned, that night, unable to settle her nerves. She had tried running, it hadn't tired her out as she expected, and no heart beat was felt even then. She tried standing in full sunlight, nothing happened, nothing at all. But lying there in the dark was even worse, seeing everything that went on in the woods at night with her improved vision was worse than not knowing. Sometimes she saw giant creatures hulk about, she could since every small lizard that scuttled across the forest floor next to her. Leaves crackles, branches snapped, owls called. She gasped and held her ears, hoping it would all stop, squeezing her eyes shut tight. She heard some giant rumbles, it sounded like talking, or bellowing. She jumped to her feet quickly, and looked around. Firelight nearby, just past the clearing, illuminated the trees in an orange glow, she crept closer through the bushes, keeping out of sight. Four Trolls stood around a bonfire, shoving each other and grumbling about what small morsels they found. One of the Trolls held the two goblins that Kali had killed earlier, and a sheep was roasting over the fire… kind of alive. Kali frowned; _this seems like something out of a fairytale… man, I really am delusional!_ Kali waited in the shadows as she saw the Trolls take the sheep off the stake and rip it apart and stuff their faces, they roared in annoyance as the fleece caught in their teeth. Kali felt her hunger spike again; she drooled while staring at the Trolls. _They look so disgusting, yet so satisfying_. She crept closer and got a better look; they were too busy arguing to notice her come ever so closer. Venom dripped off her fangs, she stopped and put a hand to her mouth, the seemingly clear liquid dripped off her finger, _hmm? Maybe I should put this to use…_ She crept up behind the largest and easiest to hide behind and searched for a place to bite. As she sunk her teeth into him he gurgled and fell over dead. The other Trolls watched in astonishment and got taken down, one by one. She sucked one dry and found that it was enough for her. Full now, she climbed a tree and sat in its branches. Not tired at all, she sat there, gazing at the stars until the morning.

**This part is an author's note:**

Hey guys! I know what you're thinking; why a vampire? Does she sparkle in the sun? Why isn't her name Bella? Where is Legolas? What does Kali look like? Where is Kali? What is Kali's past? And does she know about Lord of the Rings? Yes, enough with that. I will answer all of them!

Why a vampire; 'cause I wanted to.

Does she sparkle; No. End of discussion. This isn't Twilight.

Why isn't her name- okay, you know what? Stop reading this and go read Twilight; it's a bunch of crap.

Where is Legolas; on his way to the council of Elrond… where else?

She used to have brown eyes, long brown hair. Now her eyes are amber, until she gets all hungry for blood, that's when they glow but when she is deprived of blood they sort of go dull.

She is in the woods near Bree.

Kali used to go to public school; she was an orphan who bounced around from house to house, moving to a lot of places. She really likes little kids, but she tends not to trust many adults. BTW she is seventeen. She was hit by a truck and killed.

And yes, she had read Lord of the Rings... and no, I don't own LOTR, I would be dead, and a dude...

Well, thanks for reading the first chapter; I hope I didn't offend anyone, (unless you're a Twilight fan.) kidding. Please tell me if you have any suggestions for Vampire symptoms other than sparkling, barfing rainbows, or anything Edwardy and stupid like that. Thank you!


	2. Distraction

Starved of food was one thing, but starved of company was worse. Kali feared being alone, even if she didn't know the people she was around, she felt safer. She climbed through the branches of the tallest tree all the way to the top. Three days had passed since her coming here, and that was enough time to make her realize that she might not be going back to the way she was. She had found some of the weapons that the goblins were carrying and she used them to kill the deer she trapped. She roasted some of the meat but when she tried to eat it, she felt like throwing up. It was tasteless and nasty; she wasn't hungry again after that, except for blood. She got to the top of the tree and looked around, in the distance to the north east she could see some candle light in the distance, outside of the woods. She climbed down and started walking in that direction. She had to talk to someone, anyone, if not talk then just hear them talk. She jumped over a small, slow-moving stream, and then looked down. In the stream her reflection glowed in the moonlight right back at her; pale skin and glowing amber eyes are what she saw. She staggered back, she didn't ever remember being that pale, or having glowing eyes. She didn't have anything to hide her eyes with; she was dressed in a long-sleeved, black shirt, long, blue jeans, and boots, no sunglasses. Whatever, she could just keep her head down.

At the gate she stood in the rain waiting for someone to open the gate. Then someone bumped into her from behind; she turned around, and had to look down. Four small men looked up at her, "Oh, sorry." She said before they could point out her strange eyes. A small wooden door opened in the side of the gate and an old man looked out at them,

"What is your business here?" One of the small men shivered and stepped forward,

"We wish to seek shelter at the Prancing Pony." The gate was opened and they all were hustled in, Kali kept her head down and just followed them. One of the men, the one who spoke, kept looking back at her nervously. No one on the road paid her much attention either. She entered the Inn and was surprised to find it a lot like a Tavern, men, drunk and sober, sat on counters and laughed and talked. She felt overwhelmed for a second then decided to sit at an empty table.

"Well now, a girl in boy's clothing! I thought I'd seen it all!" exclaimed a man not too far away from where she was sitting, waving his tankard at her. _Oh, Hell…_ she thought morosely. At the next table the four small men sat down and drank some ale out of flagons. She saw one of their feet and something clicked; _oh, Hobbits…_ Am I in Lord of the Rings? _The story my Dad used to read to me before he died?_ She glanced at them again; yep, they were definitely Hobbits; large, harry feet, short, they fit the bill. _That means one of them must have the One Ring… and that means they're Frodo Baggins… And I'm in Lord of the Rings. Crap. This is _not_ my day_. Kali stood up and walked to the bar where one of the Hobbits was drinking and talking;

"Excuse me, do you know a Frodo Baggins?" she asked, the sandy-haired Hobbit turned around,

"Sure I know a Frodo Baggins! He's right over there! In fact he's my second cousin…" he kept talking, and all the men at the bar looked over at Frodo, who looked terrified. He ran over to pull the other Hobbit off the stool, but he tripped and fell, then vanished. _It was only the Ring!_ Kali reminded herself not to panic as everyone around her erupted into chaos. Only one other in the room didn't react, Aragorn. Kali caught brief sight of him until he dissolved into the crowd and grabbed the invisible Frodo. The other Hobbits searched frantically for their companion in the Tavern, but Kali knew that Aragorn had taken him up to one of the rooms.

She went over to one of the Hobbits and looked down at him, "Hey, the Ranger took him upstairs." The Hobbit nodded in thanks and the other two Hobbits ran up the Inn's stairs, one grabbed a candleholder and the other a frying pan as makeshift weapons. Kali followed them and they came to a room with the door slightly ajar; the Hobbits burst through with their 'weapons' raised. Kali stepped in, "Calm down, you can trust him." Aragorn studied her carefully,

"How do you know that?" Kali sighed and thought of a good excuse,

"You are a Ranger…" she said lamely, trailing off.

"But I could have still taken the Ring from Frodo," he said.

Kali frowned, "But you did not, and that is why they can trust you, Strider."

Aragorn looked surprised, "How do you know me?" he asked; a more threatening tone in his voice. Kali hesitated, "Wait," he said, snuffing out the candles he turned to look at her. Kali then realized her eyes must have been glowing, because the Hobbit's eyes grew big. "I thought so; you are one of the Dead. Whose side are you on?"

Kali sighed, "Right now, no one's side. But I know about the Ring, so you might want to be careful what you threaten me with. I could just go tell them… you know?"

Frodo paled, "You don't mean those things… do you?"

Aragon looked out the window apprehensively, "They are the Nazgul, the Ring Wraiths. They were once the nine men gifted with the power of the rings given to the race of men, now they are what you see, bent to serve Sauron. And bring him the Ring."

"Sounds like you need a distraction to get out of here," Kali remarked.

Aragorn nodded, "We need to get the Ring to the safest place possible, we won't tell you where we are going, but can you distract them?"

Kali nodded and bowed slightly, "I can distract them for a day or two maybe; my name's Kali."

The Hobbits relaxed their guard and stepped forward and introduced themselves one by one; "My name is Pippin and this is my cousin Merry,"

"Pleasure," Merry said and did a silly mock-bow, very charmingly winking at the end.

"I'm Samwise Gamgee; it is very nice to meet you Kali." Sam put out his hand for Kali to shake; she smiled a closed-lip smile so as not to show her fangs.

"My name is Frodo, Frodo Baggins." She shook Frodo's hand as well. Then she turned to Aragorn, "Well, looks like you have got yourself a distraction."

_You know, this job kinda sucks…_ Kali though as she ran through another river in the opposite direction of where the Hobbits and Aragorn were headed. She heard the squeals behind her and she rolled her undead eyes, _these guys think you are a Hobbit they will chase you to the end of the Earth!_ She really wanted to just scream, _"Suck it losers, I'm not a Hobbit if you hadn't noticed even on the second day of nonstop running!"_ But she kept determinedly running till she ran right into an Orc. Her first thought was; _I wish I could stop and eaaaaaaat yooooooou, but I have to ruuuuun! _Not_ Ahhhhhh! It's going to eat me!_ Like she would have on any other day. Because she was hungry… very hungry. _Damn it all!_ She stopped and bit into his unguarded neck and sucked the blood out of him. The orc fell to the ground dead, the Ring Wraiths who were chasing her had a moment of pure confusion, then they realized they had been tricked. _Oops…_ They wheeled around and headed back in the opposite direction. _Well Aragorn, there goes that brilliant idea! Sorry, I tried! What do I do now? Track them? _Then she looked down at the body of the orc she just killed. _Hey, I wonder if there are any more of these guys… _


	3. Nothing To Lose

Kali had gotten used to hunting for food, or in her case blood, every night. It was easier for her to hunt at night because Trolls were the tastiest and largest targets. Not to mention they were stupid and armorless. She would find them camped and snoring in caves that no humans would ever want to go near. In some of the caves she found treasure, but she left all of the useless jewels and ornaments, what use did she have for these? It is just blood that she needs to sustain herself, she knows this. But she did find some weapons that made it easier to kill. And she picked up rumors from humans in villages and hunted down any nuisances in the area, saving farmers the worry of their livestock being stolen. In the daytime she could go into human villages, because she learned that her eyes didn't glow in the light. Sitting at the bar of the local tavern she would often her one farmer conversing to another;

"You know it's a wonder! All the monsters disappearing all of a sudden."

"I think it's elves! Do you remember just about forty years ago, back when we were children, the elves used to go on hunts, killing orcs, goblins, and trolls wherever they went."

"But they stopped doing that it's got to be something else… whoever this person is, regardless of their race, they're a real hero."

"I thought you hated dwarves!"

"Well I'll make an exception if it's a dwarf."

Kali chuckled and left the tavern. Another pest problem solved. She looked out to the plains, such a different kind of wild to her. The forest had been her home, so bountiful were the monsters, but it was time to hunt other prey. She had heard whispers of armed orcs killing families out in the plains and of Dwarven mines being raided by goblins. And so she began on her mission to take down those who sought to destroy love.

On the second day she ran into a burning village; orcs pillaging the place. Kali charged right into the fray and pulled people out of buildings, and stabbing the occasional orc. But when it came down to it; the humans were more important than her thirst for blood. She only needed to feed once a day, so she was fine and energized. As soon as all the humans, who were still alive, were safe she slew the last of the orcs then helped to put out the fires. Most of the village was alright, for that everyone was thankful. After that was done, that night she took away the bodies of the orcs and drained a few of them and buried the rest. As she was piling the last of the dirt over the pit/grave she heard a noise behind her; she spun around only to find a little girl. "Um, thank you," she mumbled, holding out a flower in a tight, shaking fist.

Kali knelt down and took it, "Thank you, it's beautiful!" The girl stared in shock at her eyes, _Oops… It's dark… _Kali thought, inwardly cursing at herself.

"I didn't know elves eyes glowed… It's very pretty." The little girl said quietly. Kali was shocked,

"No, I'm not an elf… I'm human, like you."

The girl frowned, "But a human like me wouldn't have fought off those monsters like that. A real human would be afraid. And your eyes glow…"

Kali shrugged, "I have nothing to lose, that's why I fight like I do." No sooner than the words had left her lips then Kali realized what she said was true; she was already dead, and she wasn't afraid of dying, or injuring herself. She fought like a beast because animals don't think about their injuries while they fight. "Well, thank you and good night!" Kali said with an open-mouthed smile. The little girl saw her fangs, but she didn't shrink in fear, she just stared in awe after the girl who saved her village as she walked away.

The Mines of Moria was her next destination until she changed her mind. Lothlorien was near here, and in a forest, so Kali was eager to go. But it wasn't only about food; she wanted to know why she was here, and why she was dead. She knew she could ask Galadriel, the wisest of all the elves, Lady of the Golden Wood. Several weeks had passed since her coming here and still almost no answers; it was killing her, figuratively, I mean it wasn't like she could get any more dead. She continues walking for two days until she finally comes to the edge of the forest then she went on in. _Geez, no border patrol,_ she thought as she trekked through the woods after five hours. She walked along minding her own business; then an arrow was suddenly in front of her face. "Well, hello! I was kind of expecting border patrol to be a ways back there, you know." Kali said sarcastically, pointing behind her and grinning, displaying her fangs. The group of elves tensed even more,

"We have orders from The Lady of the Light that we must take all of the unannounced, wandering, and intruders that pass beyond the borders of these woods. Come with us."

Kali giggled at their stiffness, "Yeah, fine. Whatever Grumpy-pants." Now no one in Middle Earth at this time knew what pants were, but they did know the word grumpy. The elf she had called Grumpy-pants frowned deeper and nudged her forward. And they began their (not so happy) journey through the woods together. It was full of unhappiness, complaining, kicking, and blindfolds, icky, smelly blindfolds. By the end of it Kali had come up with names for all the elves that had "Captured her" there was Grumpy-pants, the leader. Longish-hair, the second in command of these troops, who had really long hair. Needs-glasses, one of the other elves who had thought he had seen an intruder, but turns out it was a squirrel. And there was Jumpy-scout, the scout who leapt very high to spy from trees.

So when they finally came to Lothlorien, the city, all the elves just wanted to get rid of her. As soon as they led her up the stairs they ran back down as fast as they could. When Kali looked at her surroundings, she realized that she had come in in the middle of a conversation. "Oh, sorry. Should I come back later? I guess I have to find Grumpy-pants and Longish-hair again…" Kali muttered, kicking her foot on the floor. She turned to go but froze in her tracks when she heard Aragorn whisper,

"You,"

She turned smiled and bowed, "I do apologize for not being able to hold them off longer, but they found out that I was a decoy." Then she realized that everyone was staring at her, her eyes lightly glowed, but not enough for them to see anything wrong.

Galadriel stepped toward her, "Child, your aura is evil, you are evil in one of its most malevolent forms, but you use it for good. How do you manage to do this? Even I can't comprehend how you are resisting this evil inside you…" Kali shrugged,

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but can you at least tell me why I'm here?" Everyone stared at her like, really?

Galadriel inclined her head and regally proclaimed, "She shall join your Fellowship. Like Frodo, she has a very strong resistance to evil. You will need her very soon from now…"


	4. Blood Oath

Kali sat on a bench outside with her eyes closed, enjoying the clean air and the gentle singing of the elves as they mourned for the loss of Gandalf. Some of the book that her father had read to her so long ago was starting to come back, like names and places. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" She opened her eyes to see the elf in the Fellowship standing next to her and gazing up at the stars. Legolas, she remembered.

"What? The stars or the singing; I love both." She said quietly, so as not to be louder than the echoes of the voices. He smiled softly, "And I as well." They were in silence for a while then Kali broke the silence,

"I didn't ask to join the Fellowship, and I don't know if any of you have anything against me, but are you alright with having me along?" The elf looked down at her, surprised.

"It is the will of the Lady, and I have no reason to object."

"So if the Lady Galadriel had no say in this, would you object?" Kali asked voice soft.

Legolas looked at her in surprise, "Well, you are one of the dead, are you not?" Kali nodded her head slightly, "That I would question, you see, the dead fought for Sauron in the Great War."

Kali felt that there was more to it than that, but she kept quiet. "Would you have killed me on the spot if the Lady had not vouched for me?" Legolas seemed startled again, as if her questions were catching him off-guard.

"I would not like to answer that question." Then he walked off into the woods, leaving Kali sitting there on the bench. _Maybe yes… I would have killed her._

_So he would have killed me? _

The next day Kali shyly approached Boramir and the two Hobbits Merry and Pippin. Pippin noticed her first and smiled,

"Good Morning to you Lady Kali!" Merry tuned and greeted her in a similar way and with a huge smile.

Boramir bowed and smiled, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, my name is Boramir son of Denathor, and you are?"

"Kali." She said.

Merry and Pippin jumped up and down excitedly, "Boramir was teaching us swordplay, would you care to join us?"

Boramir laughed, "She is a woman! She does not have need for swordplay!"

"If she is to join our Fellowship she must!" Aragorn called out from the base of a tree, "we shall see what weapon suits her best and train her as best we can in it."

Boramir shook his head and smiled, "But her joining the Fellowship is a joke, right?" Aragorn gave him a dark look that said, _don't cross me buddy, I'm serious_.

Gimli and Legolas came over just in time to see the two Hobbits take down Boramir while Aragorn laughed, sitting at the base of a tree with Frodo and Sam. Kali just stood there sniggering with her hand over her mouth, but then when she saw Boramir having trouble getting up because the Hobbits were kicking him, she laughed hard, doubling over. She fell to the ground shaking in laughter as they all looked on; then Boramir noticed her fangs. He jumped up and drew his sword, pointing it threateningly at her as she lye on the grass undefended. He swung, but was blocked by one of Legolas' knives. "You shall not harm another member of the company." He said firmly, his striking blue eyes flashing.

Gimli came in for a closer look at Kali's fangs, when he saw them her stopped and paled, "She's dead." Kali looked ashamed, getting to her feet she seemed unsteady.

Aragorn got up and walked over to them, "We can trust her, she helped us once before on the journey to Rivendell, without her the Ring wouldn't be here today." They all fell silent and Aragorn put a hand on her shoulder, "You should trust her too, the Lady even said that she was remarkable."

Sam stood up, "But the Lady also said that she was evil; that she could snap at any time." It seemed like the Fellowship was torn by trust.

Kali sighed and closed her eyes, "The moment" the Fellowship looked at her, "I spill the blood of an ally, you have permission to kill me." she bit her wrist and blood beaded and dripped down onto the ground, "That is my oath." She licked the blood away and as soon as the wound had come it faded. Gimli, Sam, and Boramir seemed more at ease,

"I'll hold you to that," Boramir said, but this time with no menace.

Aragorn gave her a short sword to practice with, but she still wasn't very good at it. She was fast, but not fast enough to dodge the attacks that Aragorn threw at her. Despite her trouble she didn't start breathing hard or even break a sweat. "How do you do it?" Pippin asked once they had gotten a break,

Kali looked down at him curiously, "Do what?"

Pippin shrugged, "You look so perfect when you're fighting, no sweat, no hard breathing, and you block very well," he blushed and looked down,

Kali laughed and lifted her sword again, "Thanks! You're pretty good at taking people down!"

Aragorn called her over, "I think that's enough for sword today, next you will train with Legolas on the bow, because Gimli doesn't have a spare axe, or so he claims…" Kali giggled at his skepticism and went over to where Legolas stood. He held his bow in one hand and his quiver in the other.

"Here, put this over your shoulder like this," he demonstrated on himself and handed her the quiver, it hung a little loose on her, but it was alright. "Next take the bow from me," Kali reached out and gently took it from his as if the bow was made of china. "It is not as delicate as it looks, it is a powerful weapon that can save your life in combat."

Kali frowned, "But I don't have a life…"

"No arguing. Now, you hold the bow like this," he picked her arm up and adjusted it till he got it where he wanted. "Does that feel natural?"

Kali snorted and looked at him, "Well it's facing forward, of course it does!"

Legolas looked amused, "That is almost exactly what I said to my first Archery teacher."

Kali grinned and pointed the bow backwards, "No, it goes like this!"

Aragorn watched them from his spot under the tree, he chuckled, "Looks like they are warming to each other already. Maybe they will get along,"

Galadriel drifted up next to him, "Even I don't know; there is still doubt in his heart. The betrayal that he went through might never go away; he may always hold a grudge. She is the only person who can help him move on,"

Aragorn continued to watch the two, "Is that the reason you put her in the Fellowship?"

"One of the many reasons, yes. You will be surprised by what this girl can do," and then her presence faded as she left. Aragorn thought about what she meant in peace until Gimli yelled something about finding an arrow in his behind. Aragorn chuckled, sounds like this girl still needs a lot of work.


	5. The Hunt

On the fifth day of practice Kali managed to beat Aragorn at swordplay, well, she used her own style… she had distracted him with her sword and then knocked his leg out from under him, sending his sword flying. And in archery she finally hit the middle of the target. "Do it again," Legolas said, Kali drew the string back and fired, she hit near the center. "Again." So she kept firing and reloading as quickly as she could. Then she spilt her arrow in half in the center of the target. Legolas went over to pull them out, "You can do this, you are ready for the next step." _Oh shiz… this is hard enough!_ She must have groaned a little because Legolas chuckled, "Yes, there is more." Then he heard a thumping noise, curious he turned around.

Kali was banging her head on the tree and apologizing every time she hit the tree, "Sorry tree, sorry, sorry again, and again…"

Legolas was at a complete loss for words, but when they finally came to him he said, "Don't injure yourself!" she stopped and looked over at him, slightly dizzy,

"Whhaaaaaaat?" She fell over onto the ground, he sighed. Then thought; _she made me laugh, I get frustrated whenever she does something stupid, being around her is… relaxing. No! I can't think like that, remember… you have got to remember… _Kali watched him curiously as he went strangely quiet, looking down at the ground. "Are you alright?" suddenly she was standing in front of him, one hand almost, but not quite, touching his face. He staggered backwards in surprise, "Are you sick? Are you feeling well?" She asked, concern in every part of her voice and written into her features. He almost believed that she was worried about him, he turned away,

"I am fine, let's continue with moving targets…"

Later that day Gimli was stressing about how little meat this place had, "Let us go hunting! There is plenty of fresh game in the woods, and we haven't gone hunting before." Aragorn was about to say that it was a bad idea when he saw the guilty look on her face. She had snuck out two days ago to satisfy her hunger, she had found an orc who had lost his way.

Aragorn chuckled, "Looks like one of us has,"

Gimli glared at her, "And you didn't take me along?" She grinned sheepishly, "I can only go for so long without food," Gimli grunted and waved his axe, "There is plenty of food here, and I've been doing my best to stomach it. You could try too!"

Pippin frowned in confusion, "I think the food here is quite good!"

Merry nodded, "I'll second (breakfast) that."

Legolas sighed, "No, she drinks blood"

Boramir paled, "Why?" Aragorn was about to say something when Kali interrupted,

"I have a theory that might be plausible; you might have noticed that I do not sweat, that is because all the water in my body is not moving, and I can't digest solids because the fluid in my stomach is not there. And so when I drink blood it goes straight into my bloodstream, like alcohol, and because my heart isn't pumping the blood to places, I need a constant flow of the stuff. So there."

They all stared at her in silence until Aragorn nodded, "That makes sense, most of it."

Legolas was the one to change the subject, "Well, I think this will be a wonderful opportunity for her to use a bow to practice."

Aragorn nodded and smiled, "Yes, let's find a bow for you to use Kali."

"No, she can use mine." Legolas said, taking his bow off his shoulder and handing it to her. She took it carefully as she always did, and then she smiled at him. A shiver went down his spine, but not a bad one, the warmth that he felt when around her… he hated it… he loved it. It contradicted everything he ever thought about her kind.

Boramir too, saw that this girl was not quite as evil as he first thought; he still thought it silly that she was coming with them on the quest, but he would protect her.

Aragorn grinned, "But Legolas, what will you use?"

"Nothing, I will watch."

Aragorn tracked in the front, Boramir and Gimli followed closely behind, and Legolas and Kali brought up the rear. The party moved through the woods silently, almost. Gimli kept talking and Legolas and Aragorn wished that he would just shut up for once. Then a crash sounded through the woods, and orcs sprung out from all directions, Kali was the first ready, she had strung her bow and aimed at one, then fired. Her aim was true thanks to Legolas' training and it pierced the orc's neck and he fell to the ground with a terrible gurgling noise as blood spurted from his wound. Aragorn and Boramir pulled their swords out and Gimli raised his axe. Legolas ducked as an Orc swung at him with a club, _now of all times there had to be an orc attack?!_ Aragorn stabbed, Boramir slashed, and Gimli hacked through the orcs till none were left but one. "Legolas!" Kali called as she shot straight at him, he ducked just in the nick of time. At first he was enraged at her attack then he saw the orc fall backward behind him, gushing black blood, Its heart pierced by her arrow. She came running towards him, "Are you alright?" he let her put her hand on his cheek and check him for any wounds, when she found none she breathed a sigh of relief. Gimli chuckled and Legolas shot him a dark look, "It wasn't his fault Gimli, and you know it. He lent me his weapon and that left him…" she didn't want to say defenseless or venerable so she just went silent.

Boramir examined the arrow imbedded in the orc's chest, "You have a good arm."

Kali smiled, "Thank you, but I owe that to him," she motioned towards Legolas.

Than Gimli grunted, "We can't eat orc, common, let's go find some other food."


	6. Tears

Kali and Aragorn sparred together, he using his sword, her with her two daggers that she had found in a Troll cave. Aragorn had examined them and he told her that they were Elvish blades, and that she should seek out Legolas' advice on how to wield them. But when she had shown Legolas, he had a shocked expression on his face that he just couldn't hide, his surprise was so great. When he asked where she got them he looked sad, then he had said that Aragorn could teach her just as well as he could and then he walked off. Kali knew he was shaken about something, but didn't press the matter, because often times when she was sad she just wanted to be alone. So she had gone back to Aragorn and started to practice with him. She was much more skillful with the two knives than the sword, and everyone was impressed by her progress. Boramir watched and cheered her on, her being here eased his fear of being in the elven city more than he ever thought she could. After their lesson she went to find the Hobbits, soon enough she found Sam. "And in the spring it was green… never a sight there was to be seen…"

"What are you doing?" she asked, startling him. He jumped and dropped his quill. He held a small book in one hand with lovely handwriting on it. Only, she couldn't read it, but it looked like poetry. "Poems?" Sam blushed and stammered,

"Only scribblings…" he said, bashful.

Kali smiled and sat down next to him; "Could you please read one to me?" He hesitated, and then began to read. It was about the Shire, so beautiful were his words that she could just picture the gentle breeze blowing through the grassy fields, the grand and tall party tree decorated with colorful lights, and Rosie. Kali remembered very little about Rosie from the book, but from the way Sam read about her she could tell he had feelings for her. "This Rosie of yours sounds like a wonderful girl."

Sam blushed, "She ain't mine, but yes," he blushed harder and held the book to his heart, "She is wonderful," Kali sat there next to him trying to imagine Rosie, but she didn't hear someone come up behind them,

"Could I speak with you?"

Kali had her turn to jump; if her heart were working it would have had an attack. She turned around and saw Legolas, who now had his emotions under control. She stood up, "Alright, bye Sam, your poem was lovely!" As they walked off Sam felt all warm inside for the first time since Gandalf died, _Thank you…_

Legolas stepped out of the city boundaries and into the woods, Kali hesitated, "Are we allowed to go out here?"

Legolas looked back at her, "Are you coming with me or not?" Kali nodded, and followed him through the trees with golden leaves, she gazed up in wonder as she walked, enchanted by the magnificence. She didn't notice the root that was in the way and tripped right over it; Legolas caught her before she had a face-plant in the ground. He helped her back up and checked to make sure she was alright,

"T-thanks!" she stammered, and a touch of color came to her cheeks as she tried to look anywhere but him. He nodded and continued walking, for a second, she actually thought her heart started beating. Eventually they came to a clearing with a soft grass floor and a tall canopy of golden leaves, there the elf stopped.

"You are probably wondering why I acted so strangely when I saw those knives this morning." Kali had to admit that she was curious,

"You shouldn't tell me anything if it makes you upset, alright?" He nodded and took a breath, preparing himself for what he was going to say.

"My mother was a strong warrior with great skill with the art of battle, she aided the race of Men in their greatest time of need two-thousand years ago…" his voice was clear but soft, Kali could hear the admiration and love he had had for his mother.

"Sauron called up an army, an army of the undead, and no one could kill them. Until one of my cousins found a way, but that secret was lost shortly after the battle was over. All of the dead were put to rest, save one."

Kali could tell that the story only got worse from here.

"And that woman tracked the elves that killed her comrades for days until she finally caught up with them. I was with them at the time and knew little of the world, being only five-hundred. She needed a way to get into the camp, and I had no one my age to talk to. So she preyed on me, being the gullible fool I was, I befriended her and thought her only human… but that night I saw her covered in blood and ripping the throats of my family I knew I had been tricked. And my mother that night… was killed." His voice almost choked with emotion, but he kept his face still, determined not to cry; because elves only cry around four people; themselves, their lover, their mother, or their father. He looked down, steeling himself for the rest, then he heard a soft sniffle; he looked up.

Kali was crying, tears just falling down her cheeks. She wiped some of them away with the back of her hand, "Sorry, p-please cont-tinue…" she sobbed, obviously trying not to cry, but failing.

Legolas was startled, he knew that humans just cried all the time and around anyone they pleased, but this felt different, like she was crying for him so he didn't have to. Watching her he had the desire to comfort her or start crying as well, but he just continued. "Those knives were my mother's, and that woman stole them and I never found them."

Kali took them off her belt, "You can have them back," she said, rubbing her sore eyes with the other hand.

Legolas took a step forward but didn't take his mother's weapons. "Keep them. She would have wanted you to have them."

Kali smiled waveringly, still a little teary. She put them back on her belt and looked up at him; then she hugged him, "Thank you," she said faintly. He didn't know what to do, heart beating; he tentatively put his arms around her. It felt…right, not at all like the cold embraces he would receive from his father, and not quite like the warm hugs he missed from his mother, but it was comforting. Kali stood there blushing, _what did I do?! I haven't hugged anyone since I was five! Ever since my father died I scarcely interacted with people, much less hugged them! I just got carried away… _But the truth was she liked it. Then they hear a crash and some cursing in dwarfish, a collective groan came from the other members of the Fellowship as they were, once again, caught by making too much noise. Aragorn grinned and stepped into the clearing, followed by The Hobbits, Boramir, and a very twig-covered Gimli. Legolas stepped away from Kali and raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms,

Gimli grunted and pulled a leaf from his beard, "Why were you getting all cuddly with the dead girl, elf?"

Aragorn couldn't contain his amusement, "Gimli was curious about where you wandered off to and when Sam said that you went into the woods with Kali we were somewhat skeptical. But everything was alright so there's no need to-"

Gimli cut him off, "I think there is something very wrong here, you forgot that I challenged you to a fight, elf!"

Legolas smirked and took an arrow out of his quiver and nocked it in his bow and aimed at Gimli, "Are you sure?"

Gimli paled, "On second thought, maybe later." Aragorn, Kali, Merry, and Pippin laughed. They all walked back to Lothlorien together and spent the day chatting and practicing. It was one of the last peaceful days of their short break from the quest.


	7. Urge to Bite

The next day Boramir and Aragorn argued over a map about how to get to Mordor as Legolas taught Kali how to fight with her new knives. "No, lower your arm, good." He instructed, watching her swing and stab the air with quick motions. _If only we had something for her to practice on…_ his gaze fell on Gimli, who was sleeping at the base of a nearby tree in the shade. A mischievous smirk crossed his face as he thought of using the dwarf as a dummy; Kali had stopped her practice to look at the elf's face and devious expression. _He looks like he wants to draw a Sharpe mustache on Gimli…_ she giggled at the thought and then froze when Legolas turned around. But he didn't tell her to keep going, instead he smiled and said, "I think that's enough practice for today, would you care to join me for a walk?"

As they walked they passed elves who either nodded or smiled gracefully at them, Kali was very grateful that they had accepted her enough not to kill her or give her strange looks. Elves hide their emotions pretty well, she glanced at Legolas, but that silly expression he wore when looking at Gimli was priceless, "What were you thinking about when you looked at Gimli earlier? Did you, I don't know, want to paint his face?"

Legolas looked at her with confusion, "Paint his face…?"

Kali laughed and waved her hand dismissively, "Oh, it's just something people from where I lived did sometimes to their friends. They would wake up with black markings all over their face!"

Legolas was again surprised, "You remember where you were from?"

Kali nodded, "Yes, I do, but sometimes I'd rather forget. But I wouldn't want to forget my father." He cocked his head to the side and looked at her,

"Your father? What is he like?" when he saw her face grow sorrowful he wondered if that was the right thing to say,

"He died when I was very little, he served in the military and he was killed in combat." She sighed sadly, remembering all the few good times she had spent with her father. The elf was stunned that she did understand his pain of losing a parent, now all he wanted to do was hold her the way she did for him the day before.

"How about your mother?" He asked, restraining himself with words.

"She died giving birth to me, I never knew her." Her voice told a tale of sadness and her head and shoulders drooped a little more. Legolas stopped walking and just held her close, wanting to help her with her sorrow, but he knew the he could not. Time is the best healer, and she needed more time to get over the loss. She was caught off guard when he suddenly held her to him, but she relaxed almost instantly and closed her eyes. His scent was so purely intoxicating now that she was very close to him; it was a miracle that she didn't bite him right then and there. Instead she just tried to ignore it, but her hunger just screamed at her to bite, and now. Legolas noticed that she was fidgeting and was about to pull back when she fainted. He caught her and wondered what he could have done.

"Aragorn!" He looked up from the map with Boramir and Gimli just to see the elf dash in with Kali unconscious in his arms. Immediately worry took over everyone in the room, the Hobbits rushed over from their spot in the corner of the room and gathered around him,

"Will she be alright?" Pippin inquired, tugging at Legolas' tunic.

Aragorn came over to them, quickly and inspected her; he took her pulse, felt for breath, and motioned for the elf to set her down on Aragorn's bed, "What happened?" And so Legolas told them of their talk about how her parents died, at that everyone grew sad. Then he got to the hug,

"And she looked so sorrowful that I… embraced her without a second thought."

Aragorn nodded and sighed, wiping his hand across his forehead. "She isn't breathing, and her heartbeat is gone…"

Pippin blanched, "Is she going to die?"

Merry slapped his cousin upside the head, "She's already dead, Pip."

Sam spoke up from next to where she lie, "She normally breaths, and I don't know about her heart, but I'm sure we should be trying to do something about it. Can we go to Lady Galadriel for help?" They stood in silence and looked at one another.

"Well it's worth a try." Frodo said for his place next to Sam, "We can't have another member of the Fellowship fall before the end."

Legolas was about to pick her up again when he noticed something, "No, she's breathing! Faintly, but it's there!" He leaned in closer to hear it, he put a hand to her chest, and he swore he could have felt a faint heart beat for a second then, she gasped and her eyes flickered open. But something that shocked them all to the core were her eyes, they were a normal brown. Then the heart beat was gone and she closed her eyes again, "No! Focus! Look at me. Kali, look." Her eyes snapped open sharply and she looked up at the many worried faces with the amber they were used to seeing,

"Get away," she ordered they all took a step back and watched her stand up shakily, then fall down. Legolas caught her just before she hit the floor again, but this time she struggled and thrashed until he let go. She panted hard as if that took a lot of effort, and then she ran out the door and into the woods. Legolas was about to follow her but was held back by Aragorn.

"Let her go, she must have a reason for all this."

Kali stumbled through the woods alone feeling drained and exhausted, she had held her breath while with Legolas so as not to breathe in his scent, and had passed out from lack of air. She fell down next to a small steam and looked down in it. She looked like a monster now; wild amber eyes, pointy fangs with drool and venom dripping off, ashy pale skin with no coloring. _I haven't eaten in a while, two days right?_ She staggered to her feet and searched for something to devour.

Legolas, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Boramir all sent worried looks into the forest now and again. Aragorn had faith that she could defend herself if the need arose, so he wasn't worried even when Gimli mentioned that she had left her knives behind. A rustling of branches caught the elf's attention just before everyone saw Kali come out of the woods looking perfectly normal, as healthy as could be really, dragging behind her the corpse of a deer. "Hey, I brought something for you guys." She grinned and dropped it right at Gimli's feet.

Sam's eyes widened, "How did you take this thing down all by yourself? And with no weapons!"

Gimli roared in approval, "Now you're talking! Let's roast this and have it now!"

Pippin looked up at the sky, "You're right, it looks about time for third dinner, and I'm starving!"

Boramir inspected Kali carefully, "Are you alright? You fainted…"

Kali laughed and waved it aside, "Oh that's all fine by me… I was just a little hungry is all!" Boramir put the pieces together in his head; _did she get the urge to bite Legolas?_ Boramir glanced at Legolas, who looked calm despite the sudden interest in his blood. _Maybe it's him first; it could be any of us next…_


	8. Two Gifts

The next day Galadriel saw the Fellowship off on their way, and she brought each of them gifts. To all she gave cloaks, supplies, and her best wishes. When she pulled Kali aside, she handed her a flask. "For the road, you will need it soon." She said vaguely with a smile. Kali shrugged and put it in her bag that she got from the elves. And as Aragorn and Boramir helped ready the boats, Legolas looked through all their packs to make sure they hadn't left anything. His face expressed joy as he pulled out leaf-wrapped dry bread; he turned to Merry and Pippin, who were helping him,

"This is lamnas bread; one bite can keep a man full for a day." He explained with gladness.

Merry turned to Pippin with a hurried look, "How many did you eat?"

Pippin's stomach made a gurgling noise, "Four."

Kali groaned inwardly at their stupidity, _now we're going to have to stop every five seconds for them to go number two!... _She giggled and imagined Pippin and Merry complaining the whole way, _"But, Aaaaaaaraaaagooooorn! We have to gooooo!"_ Aragorn came up to her and said, "May I ask what is so funny?" She tried to catch her breath and she gasped,

"Merry and Pippin ate" she laughed some more, the others walked over. "Four of them!" she gasped.

Gimli grunted, "Four of what?"

Legolas gasped, "They did?" The others were left in the dark, still very confused.

"Four of what?! Explain Elf!" Gimli roared, stamping his axe on the ground impatiently. Then Aragorn got it; "Oh-no…"

"I'll never eat lamnas bread ever again!" Pippin moaned from the boat, leaning over the left side.

"I hear you Pip." Merry concurred, leaning over the right side of the boat. They both had become terribly sick and had thrown up over the side constantly an hour after Lothlorien was out of sight.

Gimli groaned from behind Kali, "Just watching them makes me feel sick!"

Kali whipped round, "Don't you dare!"

"Don't worry lass, I won't. But I was wondering, what did Lady Galadriel give you?"

Kali pulled it out of her pack and studied it, "A flask of some sort, I don't know what's in it."

"Open it lass! Let's have a peek!"

"No, I think I should wait until the moment is right, whenever that is…"

"That is the wisest choice," Legolas voiced from the back, rowing steadily and keeping them on course.

"Bah! And what did the Lady give you Elf?" Gimli harrumphed.

"A bow and a new quiver."

"Well that ought to make you happy."

"And what did you get Gimli?" Legolas asked,

"I asked for a single golden hair for me to remember her by… she gave me three." His voice cracked with emotion at the end, Kali smiled as Gimli talked about how fair Galadriel was and how he would go back there if he could.

_Ten hours later…_

"Are we there yet? I need to stop and stretch!" Gimli asked again, for the twenty-fifth time that day.

Kali clenched her hand into a tight fist, "If you say that again, I swear…" Gimli opened his mouth to say something, "Zip! Not another word."

"Are we there y-"

Gimli was whacked over the head with the paddle as Legolas switched hands.

"Oh, sorry Gimli, I didn't see your head there."

Gimli fake-laughed, "Pretty words coming from an pointy-eared elvish princeling with perfect eyesi-"

Legolas whacked him over the head again with the paddle, shutting the dwarf up for about five seconds,

"You want a fight or something? Come on we can go right now if you-"

Kali turned around, grabbed his head, and dunked it underwater. "I told you to be quiet!"

Aragorn watched this with amusement until he saw a suspicious-looking log floating, or so it seemed, right next to their boat. Aragorn shook his head; it was getting dark and harder to see, so maybe that wasn't what he thought it was.

They all beached their boats and stepped onto the river bank, stretching their aching limbs. Kali went to tie the boats to some trees with some rope as The Hobbits started to get a fire going. Legolas lie down and his eyes glazed over in sleep so he could take part of the night watch later. Boramir and Aragorn sat down heavily next to Gimli on a log and sighed heavily, tired from ten hours straight of rowing. Once the boats were safe, Kali went over to the group and looked to Aragorn, "I'm going to have a look around in the nearby area and maybe get some dinner for myself along the way." Aragorn nodded and watched as she disappeared into the forest, the sky grew darker and the grey clouds above shifted to reveal a beautiful sunset, lending a last bust of light to the Fellowship as Aragorn tiredly examined the map. "Legolas, what way do you think we should take…?" Then he realized Legolas was sleeping. The elf sat up and looked at him,

_"Yes Aragorn?" _(Spoken in elvish, 'cause I'm too lazy to use an elvish dictionary)

_"Go back to sleep Legolas, I'm sorry."_

_"I am awake now. What is it?"_

_"I feel something wrong, like we are being followed from multiple routes, do you feel anything?"_

_"Yes, I am uneasy about the other bank of the river, there is darkness there that I do not wish to confront."_

_"And they follow us on foot?"_

_"Yes, I think a troop of them… they may have a way to get across the river, but I hope not… Where is Kali?" _

_"She went to find food and to look at the surrounding area."_

_"Do you think she felt something off and went to go investigate?" _

_"I wouldn't put it past her, she is a strong woman."_

_"I want to make sure that there really is no threat on this shore, I will be back soon Aragorn." _Legolas stood and went into the woods.

Boramir glared at Aragorn, "Would it kill you to just speak Common so the rest of us can understand?" the tension between Aragorn and Boramir became so stressful that most of the company decided to go elsewhere and take a leak.

Legolas found Kali up in a tree, watching the sunset from up high. She noticed him and jumped down, landing on her feet lightly. "I thought you were getting some rest," she said, a small frown puckering her forehead.

"I have rested long enough, there is something foul in the air that makes me feel alert, I cannot sleep now. Do you sense it as well?"

She looked at him and sighed. "That's why I came out here… I'll take the watch tonight, you need to get some sleep or else you will fall asleep while fighting and we will take you for dead!"

Legolas smiled softly and looked down at her, "No, you need your sleep more than I do." Kali just gave the argument up; she knew she would win later.

"By the way, I have something to give you," Legolas pulled out his old bow and quiver and handed them to her.

"But why?" She asked, purely confused.

"I was given a new bow to use, and it is quite an honor to be given a bow made by the elves of Lothlorien. The Lady Galadriel told me that I would know what to do with my old bow when the time came, and that is now. I want you to keep it, to use it, and to have it with you always to keep you safe from harm."

Kali's eyes grew wide as she took in the importance of the gift he was giving her, "Thank you!" she said, and instead of hugging him, she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. He had no idea what to do; his mother was the last person to do that to him, and he had been a mere five hundred at the time. He blushed lightly and hoped Kali couldn't tell that he was flustered.

"I made that bow when I was two hundred and just learning how to use it, please take care of it."

Kali's jaw dropped, "And you are just giving this to me?"

Legolas smiled, leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "But I'm not giving this to just anyone,"

Kali shivered in delight when his warm breath felt hot against her ear, she would love to just kiss him… or bite him. She bit her lip hard, trying not to think about anything but what she ate a few minutes ago. _Blood, you had blood very recently, get over your hunger already!_ Suddenly Legolas spun towards the camp and grabbed her hand,

"We have to warn the others!"

Just as they were coming onto the bank a loud screech came from overhead, they all clutched their ears and shook. Frodo was having an especially hard time with everything, struggling not to just put on the Ring. Legolas grabbed his new bow and Kali aimed hers; they both shot at the same time and with a loud squeal, the Felbeast fell to the ground dead, crushing several trees in the process. The Fellowship ran quickly over to where it fell; they found it dead with two arrows sprouting from its neck. Aragorn admired their teamwork, together, simultaneously; they took down the flying terror of the skies with two arrows. Boramir glared at Legolas, "Why didn't you sense this earlier? Aragorn told me that you sensed trouble on land on the opposite bank!" Boramir looked ready for a fight but Legolas just felt ashamed, he didn't show it but he said,

"You are right; I should have been paying more attention."

Aragorn turned to Legolas, "Do not blame yourself for this, my friend, I too am to blame. Now, let's get some sleep, I'll take the first night watch-"

"No." Kali said firmly, "I tried to tell you guys once before that I don't sleep at all, so I will take the entire night watch. I never get tired, and you three rowed all day, you two are sick, and you two need your sleep. Just leave it to me."

Aragorn reluctantly nodded and went back to the camp.

Even though everyone was dead tired, they all slept very little that night from the feeling they were being watched. But they all managed to shake off that feeling as paranoia. No one saw the creature Gollum creep back into the shallows and swim away.


	9. Broken Fellowship

When Aragorn awoke the next morning at dawn, he found Kali drawing things in the sand with her finger. Aragorn inspected her drawings; they were not of anything he had ever seen before. Kali looked a little out of it, so to speak, so he sat down next to her, "Good morning." She looked over at him,

"Hey," she greeted mildly, looking sort of bored.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" he asked, she shrugged.

"Sure," Legolas felt the rays of the sun reach his eyes, and he heard Kali's gentle voice. He woke and sat up, careful not to disturb the others, but what Aragorn said next made him freeze.

"Have you been thirsting for Legolas' blood? Is that why you fainted?" there was a pause then,

"I'm not sure, I think it's just because I've been getting really hungry lately, but I swear I would rather die than hurt anyone! Especially one of my friends." Legolas felt delighted to hear her call him a friend, but he didn't like what Aragorn said next,

"When it comes down to it you need blood to survive, if you had no other way of getting it would you drink a little from one of us?"

"I hope I never have to,"

"Can you get blood from someone without killing them?"

"Yes."

"If you have to drink from anyone, I'm always here. I don't want you to be put in any risk concerning your health."

"No. I will be fine, Aragorn."

Boramir sat up and rubbed his eyes, "Shall we get going then?"

They sat in the boat again for another day, but this time Merry and Pippin annoyed Boramir with the, 'Are we there yet?'s. Gimli tried to keep the conversation going in his boat but Legolas and Kali didn't talk all that much until Gimli said,

"I've been wondering lass, how you hunted that stag without a weapon. Did you wrestle it to the ground, clobber it over the head, or strangle it to death?" Legolas rolled his eyes, _Dwarves…_

Kali grinned mischievously, "I used poison."

Gimli nodded, "So you set a trap?"

"No, I bit it."

Gimli paled and turned backward to face the elf. He mouthed,_ she bit it? _

Legolas stepped in to explain, "The Dead have venom so powerful that it can kill its prey within seconds. And they are the only creatures that can withstand it, no matter how tough you think you are Gimli, her venom could kill you just as easy as that deer."

"You think that I would succumb to a little poison! Let's see you try it Elf!" Gimli roared, almost tipping the boat.

Kali turned around and whacked him on the head, "It only comes out when I'm hungry or excited and you would die almost instantly, so no."

Gimli grumbled to himself and shifted his weight, causing the boat to rock, "Where would you bite something to kill it?"

"Depends, what animal?"

"Ur… a dwarf." Gimli said, attempting to cover up his uneasiness. Legolas chuckled.

"… Probably the neck. You do look a bit tough though… very chewy."

Gimli glared at her and Legolas laughed, "Don't try to eat Gimli, he would taste terrible!"

"If you bit me I wouldn't go down without a fight, make you have indigestion for years…" Gimli groused. "How about the elf? Where would you bite him?"

"Same place Gimli…" she sighed, "I really don't want to talk about this, so if you could please change the subject…" She said, losing all cheer in her voice.

After they had come to a stop shortly after midday, Aragorn had them tie the boats up and he told them, "We will continue on foot on the other side of the river tomorrow." They all agreed and split up. The Hobbits were setting up a fire to make some food, Frodo looked uneasy, Aragorn and Gimli gazed at the other shore restlessly, Boramir disappeared into the woods, muttering something about checking the surrounding area, and Kali watched as Legolas went to speak with Aragorn. As they were talking The Hobbits ran out of wood for their fire and Frodo volunteered to get more, as he left Kali desperately tried to remember what happened next in the story, she could have sworn it was something important…

"Where's Frodo?"

"And Boramir?"

Suddenly it hit her like a truck, (and she knew how that felt), "No! Orcs, Boramir, Ring, Frodo!" she tried to explain as best as she could and as fast. She frantically tried to calm herself, "The orcs aren't on that side, they're here!" Merry and Pippin started up and went into the woods without another word.

Aragorn clasped his hands on her shoulders keeping her steady, "Slowly, explain what you are trying to say." Legolas walked over, concern written on his features.

"The Orcs are on this side of the river,"

"And how do you know that?" Aragorn asked.

"I just do, trust me. Boramir will try to take the Ring from Frodo in a few seconds, just wait. You will hear his horn soon…" She trailed off into mumbling.

Aragorn thought that maybe that she just needed rest, but some part of him told him that she knew what she was saying. "You should get some rest," he said, patting her shoulder in a brotherly way and going back to sit next to Gimli.

"Are you sure you are alright?" Legolas asked, studying her face for tiredness.

"Fine, I'm fine…"

"I am worried for Mr. Frodo as well Miss. Kali, I'm going to go and look for him with you if that's where you are going."

Kali nodded and smiled in relief, "Let's go Sam."

The Elf, Man, and Dwarf watched as the last Hobbit and the girl disappeared into the trees together in silence.

"Do you think she sensed something?" Legolas asked Aragorn,

"Doubt it," Gimli grunted and took another look around.

Sam and Kali wandered through the forest together as they searched for Frodo; _I hope I can find them in time… but will that change the course of the story if I do_? Then the horn of Gondor echoed loudly a little ways off in the forest. "Mr. Frodo!" Sam called, starting to run toward the sound.

Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn sprang into action when they heard the call, then it blasted again. Aragorn grabbed pulled his sword on and ran at the same time toward the sound, "So turns out she was right!" he shouted to his companions as they ran through the forest together.

By the time she had reached the source of the sound, orcs were everywhere and Boramir was no longer in the same place. Surrounded on all sides by orcs, Kali fought as best as she could but she felt an orc blade cut her side, she screamed in pain. She fell to her knees and tried to defend herself, she crawled over to the ruin's wall and sat facing the attackers. Holding her knives up, she blocked more blows and dodged others, hissing in pain every time she twisted her side.

"Kali!" Legolas cried as he heard her scream, he took off in her direction, leaving Gimli and Aragorn running towards where the sound of the horn had been. They chased after the elf as he wove his way through trees to the ruins. When it came into view, he shot two orcs simultaneously and pulled two more arrows out of his quiver. Aragorn and Gimli charged straight on at the orcs, fighting fiercely with every orc in their path. Legolas found Kali at the bottom of the ruin, shooting any orc that got too close with an arrow; he ran towards her and killed three orcs in his way. He knelt down next to her and saw her wound, it was preventing her from standing, and she couldn't run, so he picked her up and carried her quickly away from the battle, planning on taking her back to the camp. But soon enough some of the orcs followed him and began to shoot arrows in their direction, several almost got them. Legolas set her down behind a fallen log, "Stay here," he said, then he whirled out and killed all of the orcs. He sent her one last glance then went back to help his comrades.

Kali was left dazed and confused, where had Sam gone? Was he alright? She worried to herself; _I hope he and Frodo make it to the other side safely_, she prayed. She then felt a pang of guilt, I have to get back to the others and help… maybe I can save Boramir before it's too late… She tried to get up but her side burned, making her gasp and groan in pain. _Blood… I need blood, I'm losing so much_… She staggered ungracefully to her feet and walked slowly and unsteadily toward the battle.

Merry and Pippin tried their best not to get killed and to protect Boramir, who had already taken several arrows, but they were captured and thrown over the shoulders of the orcs and carried away. By the time Aragorn came to the scene, Boramir was dying in a field of slain orcs, and the Hobbits were nowhere to be seen. When Legolas and Gimli came into the clearing they were shocked to find Boramir saying his last words to Aragorn. When Boramir had breathed his last, Aragorn kissed his forehead solemnly and the other two bowed their heads in respect to the fallen warrior. Then they heard a gasp from behind them, "I was… too late." Kali mumbled as she lurched forward, obviously in pain. Falling to her knees she cried, "No…"

Aragorn was at a loss for words as Legolas bent down and picked her up in his arms and let her cry into his tunic. They followed him as he quickly made for their camp, Aragorn and Gimli carrying Boramir between them all the way through the woods. Once they got to where their camp was they noticed one of the boats was missing. But instead of worrying about Frodo, Sam, and the Ring; Aragorn readied a canoe and put Boramir's body inside it with his sword still clasped in his hands. Then with a final farewell they sent him off into the current. Once that was done, Legolas turned to Kali, who was breathing heavily and holding a hand to her side. He moved her hand aside gently and he and Aragorn inspected the wound… that wasn't there. "It's gone…" Aragorn whispered, "There was a deep gash here, wasn't there?" Kali nodded and kept silent, still breathing hard.

"Does it still hurt?" Legolas asked in a worried tone that surprised even himself. He lightly touched the faint scar and Kali nearly screamed, but she was determined not to do that over something as silly as this.

Gimli frowned, "A scar shouldn't hurt that much."

"Gimli!" Aragorn and Legolas exclaimed sharply causing the dwarf to flinch.

Legolas grabbed Kali's pouch and dug in it and found Galadriel's gift, he pulled it out and undid the stopper. "Can't think of a better time to use it, can you?" when no one objected he poured the contents of it into her mouth. It was clear, and by the smell of it, it was cold mint tea. Aragorn quickly thought of all the properties that mint possessed; _It cures headaches, it helps you focus, it is used to keep bad smells away, women use this to help with… Oh. That._ She swallowed and gradually she seemed to get better and lose some of the pain. She sat up and swayed unstably, Aragorn put a hand on her back to keep her steady,

"I'm alright, I can stand, but I need to go and find an orc," she said breathlessly. Aragorn helped her to stand, she winced. Then she took a step without his aid, and another, soon she was walking into the woods alone. Worried, Legolas tried to follow her, but Aragorn held him back,

"She is in no condition to be roaming the woods alone and in pain, I am going too." He said looking determined to make sure Kali was alright.

Aragorn shook his head, "No, you do not want to be near her right now. Her hunger will probably triple and her temper will break easily, do not do anything to anger her." He directed this last part mostly at Gimli, but Legolas still looked unsure,

"Why?" Gimli asked,

Aragorn sighed, "She is going through what all women go through…"

Legolas paled and looked horrified; Aragorn was right, and if what she survived on was blood, she was going to be in terrible condition for the next few days.

Gimli, however, was still in the dark, "Pregnancy?" … Aragorn and Legolas stared in shock at his stupidity.

"No. You don't have to know Gimli." Aragorn said, partially amused that Gimli still didn't know. (And if there are any guys in the crowd; yes, hello… If you don't know what the heck is wrong with Kali, ask your Dad. But whatever you do, do not ask a woman, she will probably kill you.)

After several minutes Kali came back with some orc blood on her mouth, looking better and a little more relived. When she reached the group Legolas sprang into action, pulling the other boat to the river and exclaiming, "Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the other shore and are now far beyond us…" he looked behind him. Aragorn was looking out to the other bank, "Aragorn? Do we not follow?"

Kali knew that they wouldn't go after Frodo, but then continue to track the band of orcs that had taken Merry and Pippin, but she kept her mouth shut, waiting for Aragorn to stir some hope within the rest of the group. But he did not, Aragorn turned away from the river and Gimli sighed, "They are long gone by now Elf. Boramir and Gandalf are dead, and the two young Hobbits were taken. The Fellowship has failed,"

"No," Kali whispered, "no it hasn't." They all looked at her in silence, she looked up at them one by one, "We are still here, aren't we? Can't we still help? We may not be able to help Frodo get the ring to Mordor, but we can still save lives."

"How?" Gimli asked skeptically.

Aragorn leaned forward and smiled, putting his hand on her shoulder, she put her hand on his. "Merry and Pippin still need our help. The journey will be long…" Aragorn said. Legolas smiled and put his hand on Kali's shoulder, she smiled back at him. "And hard,"

Gimli came forth and put his hands on the Man and Elf's shoulder, "Yes!" he bellowed, and laughed and became more enthusiastic. Kali laughed and felt relieved, they would go after their friends, everyone would be alright. And so began their journey to rescue the Hobbits Merry and Pippin, and so began the separation of the Fellowship. "Let's hunt some Orc."


	10. Thirsty

On the second day of running Kali felt like she was dying slowly from the inside, she hurt; she was hungry, and all of a sudden very tired. When they stopped that night to rest for two hours to allow Aragorn and Gimli to sleep, she collapsed to the ground and let her venom seep out of her mouth and onto the dry grass. Aragorn was really tired, but he could tell that something was wrong with the young girl; her eyes were dull even though it was dark, her skin was paler than normal, she was actually tired for once, and her venom was now dripping out of the corner of her mouth frequently. "Kali, I think you need to eat something…" Kali didn't respond from her place on the ground.

Gimli nodded and drifted off to sleep, "Aye lass, try and eat this lamnas bread, it's no good really…"

"I can't digest solids Gimli…" her voice strained weakly. But Gimli was already snoring away propped up next to a boulder in the grass.

Legolas knelt down next to her, "The nearest animal is probably miles away, you need blood more now, so don't be afraid… if we say you can. We trust you," She didn't respond, her eyes were closed and her breathing even.

"Is she asleep?" Aragorn asked from next to Legolas. The elf watched her placid face with a keen eye,

"No." he reached out and gently tugged a strand of her long brown hair, "Please just bite one of us," _I hate seeing you like this…_ his mind pleaded silently. Her eyes flickered open and she sat up, looking Legolas in the eyes. She coughed up a little venom and glared weakly at him,

"No, I have too much venom coming out, you would die."

Aragorn took out his knife, "Then we will just slit a little cut and you can drink it without having to pierce our skin."

"No! Don't do that… I'll just…" she trailed off, starting to slump forward.

Legolas caught her and sent a panicked look to Aragorn who didn't understand what was going on either. Then her arms were around Legolas' neck and her lips on his throat, he shivered and tensed waiting for her fangs to tear into his neck. But they were gentle; he barley even felt it, it actually felt good in a way that made him feel more alive. He felt all his blood rushing to that one part of his neck and his entire body buzzed with the sensation, he smiled and brought her closer. Aragorn thought it strange that the Elf appeared to be enjoying this, but he didn't question why. This was love; he had seen it many times before. Even though they both probably didn't realize it yet, they were meant for each other. Sooner than they both expected Kali let go and blushed.

"I'm sorry, I was as gentle as I could be… did it hurt?"

Legolas smiled softly, "No, I feel fine, see?" he drew his hair back from his neck, "It's healing already."

Kali breathed a sigh of relief and hugged him, "I'm so glad!"

The next night it seemed almost hopeless, the orcs had marched nonstop to Isengaurd and they didn't seem to be stopping. And they had picked up the pace after they sensed the company getting closer and so it was more running for the Fellowship as they followed behind their prey. Gimli and Kali brought up the rear as Aragorn and Legolas tracked in the front.

"You seem to be all smiles today; did you try the lamnas bread?"

"Hmmm? Oh, yes, right, that's nice…"

Gimli stared at her strangely; she usually didn't speak in one-syllable sentences or space out when someone was talking to her. _Oh well, that ludicrous elf-bread must have done it to her…_

That night when Aragorn and Gimli caught up on their sleep, Legolas took the watch again, having slept while running that day. He sang an ancient elvish song that reminded him of his home as he watched the stars.

"That was beautiful." Kali breathed when he had finished. He turned around and saw that she was lying down on the grass not that far away from the other two. He felt pleased that she had appreciated his song but he wanted to do more to make her smile,

"Would you like me to sing you a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me?"

"Yes please,"

And so he began to sing the song that he always went to sleep to as a child. When he finished all was quiet. Kali's soft, even breathing told him that she had fallen asleep. He curiously watched her as she slept; her arm was tucked under her head like a pillow, the cute noise she made when she puffed out air through her mouth, he smiled lovingly and brushed some hair off her face.

"Good night, Kali."

Kali woke the next morning to see Aragorn grinning, "Good morning, I thought you said you didn't sleep!" She smiled shyly and looked down at the ground,

"But the night sounds were so beautiful they lulled me to sleep."

Gimli snorted and rolled his eyes, "I hope you don't mean the elf's singing, it is the most terrible, alarming, and irritating sound that I know!" Kali was about to argue when Legolas turned to them with an expression of regret,

"A red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night." he informed his companions dispiritedly.

Kali reached over and took his hand and squeezed it lightly, "It wasn't Merry or Pippin, I can feel it. Do not be troubled," Legolas took comfort in her hope, and he felt deep within him that if he failed to rescue the Hobbits alive, he had somehow failed the quest. But he still had hope as the company moved on, and soon after a little ways of running they saw a group of riders in the distance. Aragorn and the others hid using their cloaks given to them by the elves; and it seemed to work because the riders didn't look twice as they rode past.

Aragorn stood up once they had passed and shouted, "Riders of Rohan! What news from The Mark?" They wheeled around and surrounded the now-visible Fellowship. Spears were lowered and a barrier of spikes kept any of them from escaping.

"What business do an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?"

Gimli looked up at the man and jeered, "You give me your name Horse master, and I'll give ya mine,"

"I would cut off your head, _Dwarf_, if it didn't stand just a little from the ground." Faster than any of the humans could blink, Legolas had his arrow pointed at the Rider,

"You would die before your stroke fell!" He declared, fiercely glaring at the Rider. A muffled cry of alarm came from behind the elf.

"Is that a woman? Men, raise your spears!" they did so and the rider could now clearly see that there indeed was a girl, garbed in form-fitting men's clothing, clinging to the elf and hiding behind him. "There is no need to be afraid, unless you are Sarumon in disguise. They say he walks in the form of an old man, setting loose _spies_ to slip past our nets." The Rider glared through his helmet at them suspiciously, Aragorn tried to keep the peace,

"We are not spies for Sarumon. One of our companions was a friend to your king in dark times,"

"The King does not recognize friend from foe," The Rider took off his helmet, "Not even his own kin," Aragorn recognized him to be the nephew of the King and bowed his head. Legolas lowered his bow and Gimli shuffled his feet nervously.

Aragorn saw his chance and asked Eomir, "We are tracking a group of orcs, they have taken two of our companions hostage, have you seen them?" Surprise and then sadness registered on Eomir's face,

"We had a run-in with a band of orcs last night, we piled and burned their corpses over there," he pointed to some smoke off in the distance.

"There were two young Hobbits, did you see them?!" Gimli asked hurriedly.

"They would have been small, only children to your eyes," Aragorn added. But Eomir just looked melancholy,

"We left none alive." A small whimper came from the girl, Eomir felt ashamed at his hard words. "Here," he whistled and two horses were brought forward. "May you meet better fates than their former masters." Then he put his helmet back on and called to the Riders, "We ride north!" And then they left, galloping away. When they were gone Kali relaxed some; horses had scared her ever since she was four, she had nearly gotten killed by one by being in the way. But two horses just stood there, staring at her; she squeaked a little and continued to hide behind Legolas.

Aragorn frowned at her, "Are you afraid of horses?" Kali nodded fearfully.

Gimli nodded in agreement, "Aye! I would rather run alongside of one than ride it!"

Legolas looked down at him, "Is that because you would fall off?"

Gimli glared at him, "No!"

Aragorn went up to the darker one and brought her forward, "See? She won't hurt you… go on and touch her nose," Kali reached out timidly and wasn't surprised when the horse reared back and tried to hit her. Legolas pulled her back and kept her close to him, one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist. Aragorn calmed his horse down and murmured to it softly in elvish as it calmed down. Kali was shaking badly and terrified to the core of getting on something that wanted to kill her, but she was soothed by Legolas' whispers of elvish in her ear and she forgot her fright.

Gimli and the other horse stood there watching the two getting quieted with soothing tones in another language, "Bah! Let's just get her on the horse already!" Aragorn led his horse over to her once more, but neither one flinched away, and Aragorn mounted and slowly went closer,

"Legolas, put her here behind me," he said, breaking the spell for just a second. Legolas nodded and lifted her up easily and set her behind Aragorn on the horse, and then he quickly mounted the other one and grabbed Gimli and put him on the horse behind himself. Gimli roared in fury at being picked up and man-handled, but couldn't protest for long because Legolas urged the horse into a gallop and the Fellowship took off towards the rising plume of smoke.

When they got there the horse Aragorn and Kali rode nearly kicked her off, but Aragorn restrained her and let Kali get off a soon as possible. It was a gruesome sight, orc heads on spears and some mangled bodies left strewn about glistened with dried black blood. Gimli sifted through the burnt pile with his axe and found something. He turned to the others, "It's one of their wee belts," he said, voice going thin. Legolas felt shame at having failed two of his companions; he said a prayer for their souls in elvish then grew silent. Aragorn stood up and kicked an orc helmet with a yell of anger. Kali watched her disheartened friends, she felt bed that they did not know that Merry and Pippin were still alive, so she waited for someone to say something. But no one did, a heavy silence hung over the group like a cloud.

"They aren't dead," Kali said, breaking the silence. They all looked at her in disbelief. "They could have escaped and gone into that forest! And hypothetically been rescued by a tree herder and theoretically met up with Gandalf…"

Aragorn looked at her like she was crazy, "Kali, maybe you need to sleep, are you feeling well?"

Kali felt like screaming, she didn't know how Aragorn would figure out that the Hobbits weren't dead, but he obviously didn't either. She sat down heavily on the ground and sighed, then felt that she was sitting on something, she pulled it out from under her; a cut rope, "Hey, Aragorn!" she called, they all looked towards her. She held up the rope, "You think they could have escaped?"


	11. The Wizard's Return

As Aragorn tracked the Hobbit's footsteps in the front the rest of the company followed behind. Legolas seemed to be listening to something; "The trees here are old, very old."

Kali looked around in the gloom smiling to herself; glad to be back in a forest.

"They are full of memories… and anger," Legolas told his companions. The trees groaned and shook, Gimli raised his axe into a defensive position.

"Gimli, lower your axe." Aragorn said, motioning for the dwarf to put away his weapon. The dwarf did so reluctantly and slowly. The trees groaned once more and louder.

Legolas observed Kali drink in the hidden beauty of this ancient place, _if she likes it here, she would love my home… I want to take her there one day._ He thought with a small smile, _maybe when this is all over I can travel with her to her homeland, wherever that is…_

Kali giggled again when the trees moaned and Gimli raised his axe slightly; Legolas came up next to her and helped her over a large tree root.

"The trees are speaking to each other. The elves began it long ago…" They both looked in awe at the leaves that had started to fall from above.

"What would they have to talk about? Except for the consistency of squirrel droppings!..." Gimli grumbled. The trees roared in annoyance, Kali thought she was hearing things; but she could have sworn that the trees were saying, _'We have plenty to talk about! The nasty Orcs that come with fire and axes, biting, scratching axes! Evil doers who plague these woods! And leaf patterns!...'_

Kali turned to the dwarf, "I think they don't like your axe, they hate it when people come in and chop them you know."

Legolas looked surprised, "You understand them? How?"

Aragorn joined the conversation, sharing his theory "I think it might be the elf blood…"

"Mine?" Legolas asked,

"Did I miss something?!" Gimli queried as he banged his axe on a tree root. The tree did _not _like that. The root came up from the ground and wrapped around the dwarf's short figure and shook him up and down. Eventually the tree put the dazed dwarf down, and Gimli staggered about and bumped into the elf.

It was about midday when the Fellowship was lost in the forest, without tracks or any sign of the Hobbits to follow. They were walking around sort of aimlessly when Legolas sensed something off, he strode quickly to Aragorn, _"Aragorn, something's out there,"_ He warned.

Kali looked worried immediately, coming up to their side, "What is it?" she asked. Again, Aragorn and Legolas were startled by her understanding of the elder-tongue.

Legolas listened closely, using his senses to pinpoint exactly what they were facing, "The White Wizard approaches." He revealed softly. Kali panicked in her mind, _Sarumon?! I don't want to die! Can a really powerful Wizard kill me? Probably. _Her hands shaking, she reached for her bow.

"Do not him speak, he will put a spell on us. We must be swift." Aragorn whispered to the companions. Gimli nodded slightly and readied his axe. Legolas strung an arrow in his bow, _I feel immense power and a bright light, this must be Sarumon._ He glanced over at Kali, she was shaking slightly as she too strung an arrow in her bow and waited. _If the Wizard tries to take her I will protect her as best as I can, but this is a Wizard, I don't think even I could take down one so powerful_. Aragon nodded and charged forward, the rest followed him and struck out immediately. But Gimli's axe shattered, Legolas' and Kali's arrows broke, and Aragorn's sword grew red-hot in his grasp and he was forced to drop it. They all squinted into the bright light and flinched at the booming voice,

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits,"

"Where are they?" Aragorn shouted, stepping forward.

"They passed this way, and they met with someone they did not expect, does that comfort you?"

"Where are you, show yourself!" The bright light faded slowly and Kali began to see who it was behind the light. By her friends expressions of amazement and elation she realized that it must not be Sarumon, and when Legolas and Gimli knelt she began to wonder who this really was. Aragorn whispered in almost disbelief, "But you fell,"

"Through fire, and water. Then I fought my enemy at the tallest tower on the highest peak and when all hope would have faded, I smote it and cast the body down the mountainside. Darkness overcame me, and I slipped out of all knowledge of the passing of time. Stars wheeled above me, but then I was called back to complete what must be done. So I return to you now, at the turn of the tide,"

"Gandalf," Aragorn whispered in reverence as he gazed at his companion in wonder. _Oh, so that's who this is… I completely forgot about him… _

"Gandalf?" The Wizard asked, "Oh yes. That was what they used to call me… Gandalf the Grey." He smiled, "I am Gandalf the White."

The moved quickly through the woods being led by Gandalf, "We must move on to Rohan, war will come there and they need our aid."

Aragorn moved forward and motioned for Kali to follow him, they approached Gandalf while walking. "Gandalf, while you were away Kali joined our Fellowship, she is-"

"One of the Dead, I know." Gandalf finished before the Ranger could. "The Lady Galadriel told me all about her and how she will affect this quest." A playful glint came to his eye, "And also how this young lady is afraid of horses." Kali paled and Gandalf chuckled.

Gimli roared with laughter, "That's the Gandalf we know! Teasing people to no end of their weaknesses!"

When they came to the end of the forest both Kali and Legolas looked back with longing, _Maybe we could have stayed longer and listened to the trees, then slept in the comfort of a forest once more together…_ Kali looked back and wished that they could have spent more time in there, listening to Legolas' understanding of the way things grew. _I love it when he talks about the forests where he has been, I want to one day see all of the forests here in Middle Earth. Assuming I don't die permanently on this quest… _Gandalf whistled loudly and waited for his ride. _That was the most epic taxicab whistle I have ever heard…_ Kali thought with a little snort of laughter. She stayed amused until a whiny answered, and a beautiful (And terrifying) white horse came galloping to them. Kali was about to jump and hide behind Legolas but she stopped when she saw that his face held admiration and something else that she couldn't quite understand. "That is one of the Meras, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell…" he said in wonder as the horse trotted up to Gandalf and let the Wizard stroke his nose,

"Shadowfax, he has been my friend through many dangers," The two other horses that had accompanied them came trotting up as well, but they didn't look happy when they saw Kali again. _Aw, great! I thought we ditched this chick!_ They seemed to say as they shuffled backwards, she scooted away from them with a terrified expression. The rest of the Fellowship saw her horror and chuckled, she turned to them with hurt in her eyes,

"You aren't going to make me ride one again, are you?" She pleaded with puppy-eyes. The others felt their will bend but Gandalf, who had had thousands of years of practice saying no to people, smiled and said,

"I'm afraid you are going to have to do just that, come on, get on the horse." Kali was about to protest when Legolas stated,

"You can ride with me for the day, as long as Gimli doesn't mind riding with Aragorn."

Gimli shrugged, "Fine by me."

Riding with Legolas wasn't as bad. She rode in front of him so his arms were around her waist so he could handle the reins. She blushed and mumbled at first but gradually got used to it and found it quite nice. Ever since she had first tasted his blood she knew that he wasn't going to push her away and let her die if it came to that. He had been supportive and kind to her, and she felt a pang in her chest when she realized that she might be falling for him. To her Legolas seemed perfect, so alluring and tantalizing. Legolas noticed a change in her breathing and murmured, "Are you alright?" She made a little noise and shuddered, which he translated as fear of being on the horse. "I-I'm fine…" She stuttered when she had found her voice. He smiled, _she is so adorable when flustered… but I like her smile more_.

"Could you smile?" He asked, and then realized he had said that out loud, "It might make the fear go away," He added quickly. Kali turned her head to face him and gave him a small wavering smile with a cute blush spread across her cheeks. He smiled back and his eyes shone bright blue; _Oh God, he's gorgeous!_ Kali whipped her head back around and covered her face, wanting to hide her subtle rosiness. One of his hands reached up and took her hands away from her face; she looked back up at him, taken by surprise. He smiled, "You shouldn't hide yourself, you are lovely," He whispered in her ear. She shivered and wished that he could say that to her for every day of the rest of eternity.

That night they stopped to give the horses a rest and to catch up on all the sleep they missed. Legolas carried Kali, who had fallen asleep on the horse, to a flat area where he set her down. Aragorn and Gimli stretched their saddle-sore legs and sat down on the rough ground. Gandalf got off Shadowfax and the horse galloped off away from the group, wanting to roam elsewhere. Gandalf sat down on the rock next to Gimli and Aragorn and gazed off into the distance, "I will take the night watch, get some rest-" Loud snores interrupted him mid-sentence and everyone looked at the dwarf, who was snoring away at this point, in silence.

"How does he do it?" Wondered Aragorn; Gandalf and Legolas chuckled and turned away from the dwarf.

"You are sure you are fine staying up Gandalf?" The elf asked once more, the Wizard waved him off and continued to stare into the west. Legolas went over to where Kali slept, he wished he could sleep with her in his arms, but he felt too shy to show that much affection in front of the others. So instead he lie down not that far from her and his eyes glazed over into elvish sleep. As he slipped into dreams he thought; _when I can get her alone, I will try to tell her what I feel for her…_

Aragorn couldn't sleep that night, he felt like there was something's he needed to discuss with Gandalf. So he just got up and sat down next to the Wizard, "Gandalf?" The Wizard looked sideways at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Can Kali die again, and for good?"

Gandalf blew some air out of his mouth in thought. "Yes, but I doubt it will happen."

Aragorn looked curiously at him, "Why?"

"Her kind are only venerable in only one place, do you know where that is?"

Aragorn thought but he came up with nothing. "I don't know."

"Of course you don't, her weakness isn't physical, it has to do with why the elves succeeded in that one battle and almost killed all of the Dead for good."

Aragorn thought back to his lessons with Elrond, "All I remember learning is the entire battle lasted an hour and before the battle a few elves snuck into the Dead's camp for a few days…"

Gandalf snorted, "As you'd expect from Lord Elrond; he tells few of the Dead's weakness. It is the heart; the dead can only be killed by those they love. It renders them defenseless to protect themselves, it brings out the humanity in them so much that a few had converted back to being alive. Those elves made the dead fall for them, and hard; later they slaughtered them. No elves were proud of that, so they kept the details quiet and they tried to forget about it." Aragorn's eyes widened and he glanced back at Kali; she slept soundly a few feet from Legolas with a little smile on her lips. Gandalf saw him looking and chuckled, "That is why I don't worry; Legolas will take care of her. But there are two other ways the Dead can die, but it isn't as easy. By blood loss, but you would have to wait because bleeding them to death won't work, they heal remarkably fast. And the other way is for them to return to the place they were killed."

Aragorn felt relieved that Kali was in no danger of becoming deader. Gimli snorted loudly in his sleep and Aragorn grinned; maybe there was hope for the Fellowship yet.


	12. Edoras

The next day Kali rode with Aragorn, he assured her that it was only a short ride from their camp to Edoras, but it felt like hours to her as she sat there in fear that the horse would try to throw her off. Once they had finally reached the gates, people garbed in black stood about, almost lifeless. "You'd find more cheer in a graveyard…" Gimli muttered. No one laughed at his remark, the air was too thick with the feeling of despair. When they had reached the Hall they dismounted and walked up the steps to the Great Hall.

When they got to the door a group of soldiers and guards stopped them. "I cannot allow you to be so armed before the King, Gandalf Greyhem. By order of Grima Wormtongue, I would ask that you all please remove your weapons and place them over next to the wall, they will not be touched." Gandalf nodded to the Fellowship and they took that as a sign to do as the man said. Aragorn was the first to take his sword off and place it on the ground, and then he took off his knife. Legolas followed his lead and set his bow down, then his quiver, and finally his knives. Gandalf took his sword from his belt and laid it next to all the other weapons. Gimli and Kali were more hesitant to relinquish their weapons. Kali gently set down the bow Legolas had given her along with his old quiver, next she set down her knives, but doing so she looked very anxious. Gimli finally, grumbling, handed his walking axe, his fighting axe, and his throwing axe to the guards who put them down on the floor with all the rest.

The company moved forward but was stopped again, "We still have to check you for hidden weapons, we do not want out King to get hurt by our lack of security, you see." Gandalf gritted his teeth and once more nodded to Aragorn, who stepped forward first to be checked. _This reminds me of a pat down like they sometimes do in airport security…_ Kali thought. The two soldiers lifted the tunic slightly and checked the boots then the belt for any hidden compartments. They touched the back of his tunic and his arms to make sure her didn't have a dagger in there. Next Legolas stepped forward, the same process started all over again. Legolas tried to remain calm as they inspected him, did they really have to push him and tug his clothes? Then Gandalf went, they checked his cloaks, both of them, and his belt. They still didn't find anything… Then they checked Gimli, who growled at them every time they did something he didn't like. Once that was done Gandalf started forward again but also again was stopped. (Who would have thought?...) "You'd think that just because she is a woman we wouldn't check her for weapons. I'm sorry, but you are mistaken."

Kali felt her breath quicken in panic as the two guards moved forward to check her as well. _Oh no…_ Their hands weren't exactly gentle or respectful either. Kali trembled in distress as they patted her back and legs, checking in her boots and her belt. This already felt like some sort of sexual harassment, but it was only when one of the guard's hands went up her shirt that she gave a cry of alarm, feeling panic overwhelm her she blindly kicked, and accidently got him right where no man would ever want to be kicked.

Legolas ran over to her and held her close "Is everything alright? He didn't hurt you or touch you in any way you disliked, did he?" She just whimpered and shook terribly, terrified to death. Her fear of horses was almost nothing compared to this; she didn't want to be touched like that so brutally and without her agreement. Not getting an answer, Legolas turned to the man and glared at him, "What," he asked voice cold and hard, "did you do?"

The head guard saw that this was the time to break things up, "You can be allowed inside now; that has been enough searching. But your staff,"

Gandalf adopted the demeanor of a kindly old man in a split second, "Oh, well, you wouldn't part an old man from his walking stick, would you?" The guard gave him a, _I'm not quite convinced that's the case_, glare but he did open the doors to let them in.

Legolas offered his right arm to Gandalf and his left arm to Kali; both took it and took up a guise of harmlessness. Gandalf hammed up the old man act, leaning on his staff and shuffling a bit, also leaning on the elf's arm for support. Kali was already frightened and did look the part of a fragile girl being escorted by an elf, for now…

On the dais a throne sat with a shrunken old man with a huge beard and flaky, wrinkly, disgusting skin. _Wow… he looks way more dead than I am!_ Kali thought in awe as she stared at the King of Rohan. And next to him sat a creature almost as disgusting, garbed in black and paler than Kali by far, he looked like a giant black worm if you squinted. The man whispered something to the King and thin words stained out of the Kings mouth, "Why … should I welcome you… Gandalf Stormcrow?"

"A just question my liege." The man in black said to his king. Turning to the Fellowship he addressed them. "Late is the hour in which this conjuror of tricks chooses to appear. Ill news I name him, and ill new is an ill guest."

Gandalf stepped forward and let go of Legolas' arm, losing all softness in his motion. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did not battle with fire and death to exchange words with a witless worm!" he snapped. Then he raised his staff and the pale man got even paler, which Kali though would kill him, but unfortunately it didn't.

"His staff!" Men came rushing in from all directions at the man's distress, "I told you to take the Wizard's staff!" The armed guards and the unarmed thugs came running at them to attack. Now unarmed except for her teeth, Kali felt very helpless and also very useless, and she didn't want to bite any humans, so when a man came at her with a sword she just ducked. Then she decided to put those two months of Karate lessons to good use and she side-kicked the man in the back then jumped on his back, causing a cracking sound to come out. Another man attacked from behind, tackling her and pinning her to the ground. She struggled fiercely but then grew stock-still when she heard the man utter, "Remember this?" his hand went up her shirt again and she panicked, thrashing around more. His hand slid down her waist and slipped under her pants, she screamed. Then he wasn't on her anymore, she looked up and saw Legolas holding the man in a death grip around the neck, fury in his eyes. Gimli stood a few feet away with his foot on Grima's chest and his axe pointed at him, his jaw hanging open. Gandalf put a hand on the elf's arm to calm him. "Now is not the time," then the Wizard stepped forward and proclaimed, "I release you from the spell," casting a spell on the King.

Faint cackling came from the dry lips of the King, and then he laughed loudly, "You have no power here Gandalf the Grey!" Gandalf threw back his outer robes to reveal his new white cape underneath. He glowed with light and power and the King was pinned back to his throne, "I will draw you Sarumon, like poison is drawn from a wound."

"If I go, Théoden dies!" Gandalf thrust his staff forward and the King was pressed even farther back into his chair. "Rohan is mine!" Sarumon snapped from within the King. Gandalf pushed forward once more with his staff and whatever possessing the King seemed to leave him. A girl rushed forward just as the King was falling forward, she caught him and helped him sit back in his throne. Then he started to look younger, his age diminishing till he looked healthier and less, well, zombie-like. He seemed to be coming back to his senses, he touched the girl's face, "I know your face, Eowen! Eowen!" he said softly, the girl cried and laughed delicately in relief. The King looked out into the Hall, "Dark have been my dreams of late," he said.

Gandalf smiled wisely, "Your hands may remember your old strength better in the grasped your sword," The King's sword was brought forward and the King slowly pulled the sword form it's sheath. Kali stood up slowly as he did this, watching him feel restored to his former glory. Then the King turned to Grima, who was being held by Gimli, with hate glowing in his eyes.

The man was tossed down the stairs roughly and he crawled backwards away from the angry king, "I have only ever served you my lord!" he begged desperately. But the King would have none of it,

"Your leech craft, would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" he growled, about to swing his sword and bring it down on the man's head. But Aragorn held him back, "No my lord, no. Enough blood has been spilled on his account."

Grima staggered backward and stumbled to his feet, running away. "Get out of my way!" he yelled as he pushed through the crowd of townspeople. Kali shuddered and hoped she wouldn't have to come face to face with him again.

"Hail Théoden King!" One of the townspeople called, they all knelt.

Théoden turned to the Hall and said, "Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" When no one answered, a heavy silence hung in the air.

Kali stood in the Great Hall a little ways from the group as Gandalf spoke to the Head of the Guards. She looked on as Legolas came over to her, "Are you sure you are alright?"

Kali turned her golden eyes on him, "I can survive," she teased with a small smirk then grew serious. "I don't like the atmosphere in here, it is like a gravesite. The mourners in black, the thick silence, the smell of damp soil in the air; it makes me want to die again to escape it all." She shivered and tried not to think of her Father's funeral, the memory always tore her apart every time she thought about it. Legolas regarded her sorrow, _I have seen much death over the course of my life; being long-lived is sometimes a burden when you have to watch the people you know die. I have a long time to get over it but Kali is another story_… He touched her shoulder in sympathy and walked away to leave her alone with her thoughts.

Once the elf had gone back to the others, Gandalf had arranged sleeping quarters for all of them in a spare room. They left to go and put their things away and left Kali wondering where they were going. Kali felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned around to see the beautiful blond girl who had caught the King earlier. "You are to share a room with me for the night, Lady Kali." Kali curtsied and smiled shyly at the older girl. "I noticed that you are traveling with men, how do you fair in their company?" The Eowen asked.

Kali thought about the question, "I have grown to love them; they are the only family I have." The woman looked saddened by this,

"I lost my Father to war and my mother to grief. I understand your pain." She motioned for Kali to follow her, "I shall show you to our room,"

Later in their shared room they sat on the bed talking and laughing. "I am so glad that parasite is gone… long has he haunted my steps."

Kali giggled and wrinkled her nose, "He is so disgusting!"

"I know!"

They laughed, both relived to have someone to talk to.

"If I ask you about your family will you answer?" Eowen asked,

Kali nodded, "Of course." The older girl looked down onto the bed sheets.

"How did your parents die?"

"My mother died in childbirth and my Father in war." Eowen saw tears form in the girl's eyes and she hugged her new confidant, it was a warm and sisterly hug that made Kali feel appreciated.

"I know how you feel." Kali nodded with her head on Eowen's shoulder. Eowen released the hug and tugged at Kali's hair gently, "On a brighter note I think the elf might fancy you!" Eowen giggled and pulled a comb out and started to comb Kali's hair. Kali blushed lightly and started to protest, "But you do like him back, don't you?" Kali shut her mouth and thought about it as the older girl braided her now silky hair.

"Yes, I do like him. A lot actually." Kali reached up and touched he braid, it felt smooth and soft at her touch, "Thank you," she exclaimed and hugged Eowen once more. They both could tell they were going to be great friends.

At night Kali waited until Eowen was asleep then she snuck outside for a bit of fresh air and maybe to find a meal. As she stepped out onto the night air she noticed two things; No guards were posted for the night watch, and someone was already out there. Legolas heard her come outside and he turned, she looked back at him with those glowing eyes. She joined him on his end of the deck and smiled, "Hey," she said softly, "I'm going to go get something to eat, if Eowen wonders where I went off to can you cover for me?" He nodded and smiled back. She was about to turn to go when he caught her wrist; he wanted to say that she could just drink from him, but couldn't seem to find the words. Kali watched him fall silent and wondered what he was trying to say; then his scent hit her like a truck. Without thinking she lunged forward and bit. She bit harder than last time, but also more heatedly; Legolas felt the throbbing sensation again only more intense. Her hands grasped his hair tightly and her lips on his neck; it made him feel faint, or was that the blood loss? When she let go she felt mortified, she didn't know what came over her; "I am so sorry Legolas! I didn't mean to-!" she was cut off by the touch of his hand on her cheek,

"It is fine, I actually wanted to ask you, but you read my thoughts…"

Kali flinched at his touch and staggered backwards, "Um… I have to be going back now… Good night!" She retreated into the palace and ran as fast as she could to Eowen's room. It had been too scary feeling her heart suddenly come alive like that. She put her hand over her chest and felt for it again, but it was gone, but she could have sworn she had felt something. Kali breathed a sigh and Eowen woke, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Lady Kali? What is the matter?" Then the woman saw the golden eyes in the dark and gasped.

Kali looked momentarily confused then it dawned on her; "Oh, my eyes. Sorry… They do that in the dark."

Eowen nodded slowly and carefully sat on the bed, "You aren't human, are you?" She questioned sort of fearfully.

"No, I used to be. But now I'm… dead."

Eowen didn't understand what Kali meant; surely she wasn't a reanimated corpse or a ghost… "What?"

"It is a long story… but I was killed by a…" she thought of the equivalent of a truck in Middle Earth, "Um, a horse… and I was taken here, and brought back… but now I have some strange tendencies… like the glowing."

Eowen felt more at ease, "Can you be killed again?"

Kali shrugged, "I have no idea, but I heal fast."

"And is that why you were allowed on such a dangerous quest?"

Kali noticed a hint of envy and longing in her voice, she grinned, showing her fangs. "Maybe. But was the jealousy I heard in your voice?" The girl's eyes sparkled, "I think it _was_!"

"Yes, I would love to prove my worth in battle just as you do, but my duty and my femininity keep me from doing so."

"What is wrong with being a woman? Why should that stop you from going into battle? We have a higher tolerance of pain, we have it worse than men, and we have more reason to defend ourselves, yes?"

Eowen laughed, "You have very strong views my friend."

Kali took that as a compliment, "Why thank you. You would love where I'm from; they let women engage in combat…"

Eowen's eyes widened, "How do I get there?"

Kali snorted with laughter, "I don't remember, but I would take you there if I could!"


	13. Listen To Your Heart

The next day the funeral for King Théoden's son was being held just outside Edoras; small mounds covered in grass and white flowers marked the tomb site. Many of the people cried as the body of the prince was carried down the hill and towards the tomb. Out of all of them Eowen looked the most distressed; her voice shaking, she began to sing a song of farewell in Rohiric. A few people tried to sing with her but no one had the voice to. Kali would have sung with her but didn't know the words, so instead she put a comforting hand on her friend's arm. When the body was laid to rest and the tomb shut everyone slowly trickled back into the city, Kali left with Eowen and Gimli.

Not too long later it was lunch time and everyone but Kali and Legolas ate the food that was brought to them. Gimli stuffed his face with as much meat as possible and swigged constantly from the tankard of ale. He burped loudly and wiped his mouth with his beard; Kali wrinkled her nose at him and he grunted, "Want some?"

Kali shook her head, "Dead flesh is gross…" She mumbled. Ever since she became a vampire she had adopted new views of life, and she surprisingly felt more confident with who she was. The door to the room came open and Gandalf and King Théoden came through, being followed by a little girl of about five and a boy of nine. The King marched over to his throne and sat down heavily in it.

"The attacks have gotten worse, the towns and fields of Rohan have been pillaged! How could they let this happen?"

Eowen and Kali went over to the children and let them sit down on a bench at a table. "They were unarmed!" Eowen said, trying to sooth her Uncle's mind.

Kali put her bowl of soup in front of the little girl and looked at Legolas, "Are you going to eat yours?" He gave her his untouched bowl and she put it in front of the boy with an understanding smile. The children ate fast as Gandalf, Aragorn, and Théoden argued about what to do. "Where's Mommy?" Eowen shushed the child and listened to the King. Kali realized that their mother might be in danger; she felt a pang of guilt. She was just standing here doing nothing while people's lives were in danger. _Ah… Damn it!_

"Last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn was King of Rohan!" The King snapped.

_What did I miss?_ Kali thought curiously. She looked to Eowen, "What did they decide?"

"We are going to empty the city and take refuge in Helms Deep until the orcs pass." Kali nodded solemnly and stroked the little girl's hair reassuringly.

"Where is your village?" She asked the boy, he pointed behind him,

"About a day's ride north."

Kali nodded in thanks then smiled at the children, "I will go to make sure your Mother is alright, yes?" Their eyes brightened and they smiled. Kali stood to go but the girl held her hand,

"Thank you," she said with an adorable smile. Kali squeezed the girl's hand gently and left the hall.

Gandalf rode away on Shadowfax just as Kali neared the stables. Normally going into the stables for her would be like walking into a deathtrap, but she speeded right through to Aragorn who was at the very end. _Oh shiz…_ All the horses around her reacted to her presence and misbehaved, rearing and kicking.

"Aragorn!" she called, he came to her and pushed her out of the stables, the horses gradually calmed down with Legolas' help.

"What is it?" He asked, noticing the fierce determination in her eyes.

"I'm going to go and rescue some people and take them to Helms Deep!" she announced with an; _I am going to do this and you cannot stop me,_ tone.

Aragorn was taken aback slightly but understood her motives. "How will you get the people to Helms Deep in time? We leave tomorrow, and it is about a day and a half's journey through the mountains…"

Kali did realize that there was a fault in her plan, but nevertheless pushed on, "I'm still going to go."

Aragorn realized that she was going to be difficult and called for Gimli and Legolas; they came and wondered why Aragorn called them. "Help me persuade her not to go into the north to salvage what has already been lost. She cannot make it to Helms Deep in time if she goes on a fool's errand."

"Let her go Aragorn, let her bite a few orcs before they get to the Keep!" Gimli stated. Kali grinned at him in thanks.

Legolas looked doubtful, "Aragorn has a point; it is likely that many of the humans are dead by now. Please don't risk-"

"I don't care if it risks my life, I don't have one. And I don't care if they are dead, but someone has to at least try to see if any of them can be saved." She glared at him, making Legolas feel another surge of protectiveness.

"But it's dangerous-"

"But nothing Legolas, I will go and that's that. I just came to say goodbye, not to get your permission."

Aragorn looked at her and decided to just let her go, "You are right, we will see you soon."

Kali looked relived and nodded, smiling at Aragorn.

"Of course you will need to get here and there fast so take a horse and-"

"Never!" Kali screamed, running away at full speed. They all laughed and watched her come back, "I will see you soon, I promise." She said as she hugged Aragorn. Next she hugged Gimli, "Goodbye Gimli."

"Aye, to you as well lass."

Then she turned to Legolas, who hugged her before she could do the same to him, "Be careful, stay safe, come back." He said softly, holding her a little tighter. When he let go she smiled once more at them then walked out of the gates to the city to start her solo-quest.

Running across the plains without the guys with her she felt a sense of freedom, she would have like to do this with Eowen, but the girl had other things to do in Edoras. Fields of grass swept on endlessly as Kali waded through it. When night fell and the skies darkened, Kali kept running in the dark guided by the silver starlight. The sky was unclouded except for one little patch to the north; _wait, that isn't cloud, that's smoke!_ She ran faster towards it, but in her haste, tripped on something; whatever it was caught around her ankle and she fell down. _Just great… _she thought to herself as she inspected what it was. _A man-made noose… a trap; this is not my week, is it?_ A rustle came through the grass and quiet voices whispered to one another. Then a group of humans were looking down at her; they looked like the stereotypical angry mob with pitchforks and torches. _Crud…_ Kali waited for them to do or say something, but they did nothing. So she put her hands in the air, "I surrender! I'm not an orc or a bad person in general!" A man stepped closer and knelt down, pulling out a knife.

"Your eyes are strange, how do we know we can trust you?"

"I am looking for two children's mother… her name is Helya, do you know her? Her children arrived at Edoras yesterday."

The man moved closer with his knife and Kali tensed until he cut the trap that was around her ankle, she smiled, relived, and stood up. A woman moved forward and clasped her shoulder,

"They made it alright?"

"Yes they are fine, are you their mother?" The woman nodded and looked relived.

"Our village was destroyed by raiders and some of our neighbors were taken hostage." Another woman said; a small child clung to her skirt fearfully. Kali noticed he was glancing enviously up at her and shivering; she knelt down and reached out a hand to the boy,

"Are you scared of me little one?" He nodded his head slightly, "Well the only thing that I can say is that I will not harm you or let any harm come to you, deal?" He nodded again and hid back behind his mother. Kali stood back up, are there any more of you?" The man who had cut her free pointed to a hill a little ways from them,

"No, all the rest are dead or captured. It is just me, my brother, my sister, and my sister in law, and her child."

Kali felt anger surge from inside her, "Alright, do you know where the raiders might have taken them?"

"To the next village over," Answered another man in the small group. He pointed east, "It's that way in about an hour's travel you can get there on horseback. It is probably already raided by now."

Kali nodded, "Don't give up hope so easily. I will try my best to get them back as soon as possible."

"But it's dark, how will you see?" Asked one of the other women holding a torch,

"I can see better than you in the dark, I'm not quite human." He eyes flashed gold and she turned around to go. A rabbit skittered across her path, quicker then it could dodge she grabbed it and turned back around. "Here, something to eat. I will be back by tomorrow, with or without your people. Stay here, I will find you, and then we will make for Helms Deep."

Kali felt lonely as she trekked across the plains once more. _I shouldn't be thinking about company right now! Here I am thinking, 'Oh, I wish I had someone to talk to!' while some innocent child is being murdered by some blood-thirsty… wait a second… I'm blood-thirsty! That kind of ruins that word for me… Alright, I'll go with savage. So some savage person is killing a kid and- Holy Crap!_ She tripped again because she wasn't paying much attention to where she was going. "Looks like it's my lucky day! It's a girl disguised as a boy, she must be fun!" Kali tipped her face up and came face to face with a foul barbarian. Her first thought was; _go take a bath!_ Then she realized how much trouble she was in, _I am so dead… _

_Worse than dead…_ Kali groaned as she wriggled, trying to get free of her bonds as the brute threw her over his shoulder, "Go ahead and try to scream, I like it when they scream!" That instantly shut Kali up. She just glared at the ground then poked at the gag with her tongue. It was really disgusting, but she decided it would be best to chew through the thing, wriggle so that she was in a position to bite this guy effectively, and then escape the rest of her bonds. She grumbled to herself as she did this, cursing every square inch of this guy. _If the guys could see me now what would they do_?... she wondered, trying to keep her mind off the ickyness of the gag. _Gimli I think would laugh, Aragorn would probably shake his head in shame then come and help me, and Legolas would have this guy bleeding out on the floor with several arrows embedded in his ass…_ Then she wasn't on the man's shoulder anymore. Her back hit the ground and all the wind was knocked out of her, the man looked down at her with an evil glint in his eye. "Scream, I like it when lasses scream," Finally, she managed to chew through the gag, but the man knocked all the air out of her again with a punch to the stomach. She spit the gag out just to be lifted up in the air and shook hard; she was brutally thrown against the wall of the small house they were in. The raider took out a knife and came closer; he pointed it to her right shoulder and held her down, "You are going to scream when you feel this lassie!" He dragged the tip across her skin and grinned, breathing foul breath into her face. When the dagger broke skin and cut into her flesh she screamed, "Legolas!"

Legolas woke in a cold sweat, he mentally shook himself, nothing was wrong… why did he think he heard Kali screaming for him? He felt the urge to go and find her, to hold her and make sure she was alright. He exhaled and stood walking over to where Aragorn sat smoking his pipe and sat down next to the man. (They are now speaking in elvish) _"Aragorn, I thought I heard Kali call my name, but she isn't anywhere near here, is she?" _

_"Did she sound distressed?" _

_"Yes, very. It sounded like she was in pain. I fear that something may have happened to her." _

_"I cannot tell you if she is alright or not; what does your heart tell you?"_

_"I am not sure, I feel only worry Aragorn."_

_"You love her, and it only natural that you worry, set your mind at ease."_

_"Do you and Arwen not have the same connection? Can you not feel when she is unwell? Can she not do the same for you?"_

_"Yes, we can. Did you see a vision, or was it just a voice?"_

_"Her voice; I heard her scream my name as if in great pain and fear. I want to go look for her Aragorn; I need to know that she has not been harmed."_

Aragorn looked at his friend's face; raw emotions flitted across them, fear, worry, agony, frantic anxiousness. He put his hand on the elf's shoulder, _"Be at peace Legolas, she will pull through. She is strong on her own; you need to pull yourself together for her. Listen to your heart."_

Legolas nodded and stood, walking back to the rock where he had rested. He didn't feel tired, just uneasy. He spent the rest of the night pacing back and forth, slipping in and out of sleep.


	14. Escape From Danger

As his hand came up to touch her face she bit down hard and with all the venom she could muster. He staggered back and cried out in alarm and agony as the poison found it's was through his system. He convulsed on the floor as he died, twitching when Kali poked his with her foot. Whenever she moved she hissed in pain, on her shoulder a huge cut going from her shoulder to her shoulder blade throbbed. Kali inched her way across the floor, still in her bonds; her hands were tied behind her back and her feet bound together. Once she had reached her weapons she did her best to try to unsheathe one of her knives, but it didn't work. She fumbled with it behind her back and dropped it; it was useless. She squirmed her way out and looked around carefully; no other raiders appeared to be near at the moment. She saw an axe stuck in the wall of an empty house; flopping towards it, she leaned against the wall and propped herself up. Standing now, she felt for the edge, once she found it she sawed at the cloth that bound her hands until it snapped. Once she had her hands free, she pulled the axe from the wall to cut the rope binding her feet. And as soon as she finished cutting them gruff voices of men could be heard from just down the road. In her mind she thought; _right about now Gimli would say, 'bring your pretty face to my axe!' I never thought I'd be saying it… _Wheeling out from behind the building she glared at the barbarians and lifted the axe, "Bring your pretty face to my axe!" doing her best Gimli imitation. _That sucked_. They stopped in their tracks and realized that they now faced a woman, whose cloths were a bit torn, shoulder and thigh bloody, and with glowing golden eyes. And she looked downright murderous. The few villagers who had survived the attack were bound by their hands in a line and being pushed by one of the Barbarians. Kali decided she would take his out first. Screaming in fury, she charged and smashed right into him; baffled by her head-on attack the Raider failed to defend himself properly. _Normally I would hate to have the blood of a human on my hands… but these men are an exception_. She cut through the man's neck and turned to the next one. _They have destroyed homes_, she slashed at the man, _lives_, she cut one leg out from under him, _and love_. _And I cannot abide that!_ She killed the second one and licked the blood off her hands; _learn your place!_ She helped the other hostages cut through their bonds,

"Thank you my lady!"

"Many thanks!"

"I thought we were going to die!"

Many cries of relief came from the freed as they hugged one-another in the very joy of being alive. Kali went and retrieved her weapons from the first house. "We cannot stay here; they will be back, and stronger. We must make for Helms Deep, they will protect us there." The people shuddered and agreed; they didn't want to fall victim to another raid.

"What is your name?"

"Kali."

"Thank you Lady Kali!"

Soon everyone was calling out their thanks to her, Kali smiled gratefully.

"Can the children walk until daybreak? We have a lot of ground to cover before we get there." The sleepy children staggered on their feet, barely awake and looking very hungry "Forget that. Is there a horse and cart around here?" One of the men went into one of the barns and a horse was hitched to a cart and brought forward. "Good, put the children in there. I promise we will stop at daybreak to eat and rest, but for now we must move as quickly as possible." The townspeople followed her out of the deserted town and into the countryside.

Kali figured the blade that had cut her shoulder must have been poisoned because it was taking a long time to heal and it still hurt like crap. Nevertheless she walked, leading the way to the other survivors. Once the sun had started to come up over the hills, the other camp was in sight. Everyone looked relived and they hurried to meet their neighbors. There was much celebration for those who lived, and a mournful silence for those who had died. They all sat around the camp fire together in silence, listening to the grumbling bellies of the children. Kali sighed and stood, going to go look for some prey. She came back with seven rabbits; she had drained the blood from them and was still feeling hungry thanks to the blood loss from her shoulder wound. She had heard somewhere that sleep helps regenerate blood so she lie down and tried to get some sleep. I wish Legolas was here, I miss him.

When she woke it was midday and all the people had eaten and rested enough; they piled the children into the wagon again and started off towards Helms Deep once more. As they walked they sometimes heard the calls and hoots of goblins or orcs echoing across the plains. Kali had to stop and listen sometimes in case there actually was a band of orcs or goblins coming too close to them. By nightfall the sounds had gotten louder, the children were more scared, the men and women more tense. As they got closer to the mountains the sounds got louder and louder. When they stopped to rest that night everyone felt uneasy and had trouble going to sleep. As she was closing her eyes Kali smelled goblin, and very close. She bolted upright and grabbed her knives, jumping to her feet and scanning the area. Her shoulder ached but she ignored it, heading for the cluster of bushes where she smelled goblin. As she expected, a goblin sprung out, but she didn't expect twenty of them. They came out from all directions, completely surrounding the group. "Everyone, we are under attack! Go to the mountains!" Kali cried. The men and women started upwards and grabbed the children and dragged them as best they could through the goblins. Kali killed all of the small green nuisances that were in her way but they just kept coming. Racing to the mountain, the company halted when they realized it was a dead end. Goblins were coming at them from higher up on the mountain, down in the forest, and from the foot of the mountain. Kali felt her back press up against the mountain and she thought; there is no way I am going down against these failures! She was about to charge forward, but felt someone grab her cloths from behind and pull her back. To her surprise she fell through the mountain along with all the humans. She landed on something hard and winced, rolling off and looking around. They appeared to be in some sort of giant cave; and dwarves stood around with hammers and axes looking at them. One of them stepped forward,

"My name is Halem son of Kjack and you are my cousin's friend, are you not?"

Kali was confused, "Should I know you?"

The dwarf seemed amused by this, "Gimli has spoken of you to one of our scouts this past day, Kali is it?" She nodded eyes wide. Another dwarf stepped forward; he was dressed in furs from head to toe and carried a crossbow.

"I was the scout that spoke with Lord Gimli, and he said that you were out in the countryside somewhere, and that if we could give you and whatever companions may be with you shelter for the night, he would be very grateful. While I spoke to him though, I noticed that there was an elf next to him, I can't believe that he became friends with an elf!..." The dwarf trailed off into mutters of why elves were bad.

"We can get you to Helms Deep very quickly, we have a secret passage that leads through the mountains, it can get you there in a matter of hours." The first dwarf said. Kali looked relived, and breathed a sigh of relief. Halem the dwarf came up to her and clapped her on the shoulder causing her to squeak in pain. "For now you shall stay with us, and when you go back to your human city, tell all of the hospitality of the dwarves. Oh and eh… rub it in to the elf's face, will ya?" Kali grinned and relaxed, _everything is going to be alright…_

Her shirt was very torn from the barbarian incident, so she was given a new tunic to wear. It was for a male dwarf so it did hang a little loose, but it felt better than having her wound exposed. In the dining hall breakfast was served; the humans ate as much as they could of the roasted meat, the mountain berries, and the Dwarven ale. Kali sat back and watched with a contented smile on her face.

"Are you not going to eat lass?" Asked Halem, coming up to where she sat.

"I do not eat food." She said, trying to avoid the subject of blood.

"Ah yes, now I remember. Cousin Gimli said that you are one of the dead! I thought he was joking, but here you are. You might like the blood that was drained from the stag, it's in the kitchen in the bleeding bowl, over there." He pointed to a room off to the left.

Kali stood up and curtsied, "Thank you for everything Lord Halem." The dwarf stammered and blushed, not knowing what to say. With one last smile she went into the kitchen.

Later that morning they all went through the passage through the mountains, it took them about three hours to get all the way out. Once they came to the exit, Kali once more turned to the dwarf lord, "Thank you, this was much appreciated. I know you have your hands full with the goblins, so this was more than I could have hoped for."

"Could you do me one small favor?" Halem asked,

"Of course," Kali answered. The dwarf gave her a small axe,

"Give this to Cousin Gimli with my greetings."

Kali nodded and took it; the dwarves called their farewells and retreated once more into the mountain pass. Helms Deep stood in the side of the mountain next to the one they were on, so they climbed down carefully and made the final walk to the gates. They stumbled through and were relived at the sight of many people there already; Kali hoped that Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli were there already but was disappointed when a guard told her that they were not expected to arrive until another hour. So she waited inside the gate for her friends impatiently. After about an hour women and children began to pour in to Helms Deep, Eowen leading them. Kali stumbled through the crowd to get to her and finally got there,

"Eowen!"

"Kali!"

They hugged and laughed, relived to see each other. Kali drew back and looked through the crowd.

"Where are Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn?" She asked.

Eowen's face grew dark, "We were attacked by waargs and they rode out to fight them."

Kali didn't really know what a waarg was, but she did know that if all the men had gone to fight them, it must mean serious business. "They will come back, I know it!" Kali said and took Eowen's arm. Together they helped families find each other and get settled; Kali got to watch as all these people found their loved ones and cried for joy, she loved being able to do this.

"Make way! Make way for the King!" came a cry from the first floor. Kali and Eowen race down to see the men ride in on horses. Kali searched the riders for Legolas but didn't see him, panic arose in her chest and she forced it down. Gimli saw Kali and Eowen and went over to them,

""Lord Aragorn, where is he?" Eowen asked with something in her voice that made Kali's jaw drop,_ Eowen is… in love with Aragorn? Wow, I have missed a lot…_

"He fell," Gimli choked, looking down at the ground in sorrow.

"He fell… of his horse?" Kali asked, hoping that that was the case. When no one answered Kali felt like she had been hit by two trucks simultaneously. "Are you saying he's dead?" She said softly, looking down at Gimli. Eowen could not take much more of this, she spun around and headed for the place where she was staying, leaving Kali in shock and disbelief that her friend was gone.

Legolas came through the gate, having spent as much time as he could to search for Aragorn, he had been the last rider to come in. He dismounted and saw Kali standing next to Gimli a little ways away. He wanted to go to her instantly and hold her tight to see if she was alright, but something inside his heart had been dampened by Aragorn's death. He walked slowly over to them and stopped beside Gimli, Kali looked up at him in hope,

"Aragorn isn't really-" She started, seeing his downcast expression she stopped. "Oh," was all she could say. She tried to accept that her companion, who was almost like a brother to her, had passed. But she just couldn't, something inside her told her that he was still alive. She tried to remember all that her father had read to her about Aragorn. _Didn't he become the King of Gondor? He has to live if he's going to become the King! _"He is still alive," she said. The two looked at her,

"That is not possible Kali," Legolas said softly, finally putting his arms around her comfortingly. She whimpered before she could stop herself, he pulled back and frowned, "You are hurt." Kali shook her head and looked down, determined not to let him see her pain, she had to be strong. "Where?" he asked softly, tipping her chin up and looking her in the eyes, seeing nothing on the face, he inspected her neck. The Dwarven tunic was a little big on her so it drooped at the shoulder, letting him see the beginning of the scar on her shoulder. When he touched it she gasped and hissed out air, it burned and stung. "How did you get this?" he asked.

"One of the Raiders had a poisoned knife…" she said softly.

Legolas looked worried then tired, "I am going to go get some rest," he excused himself and went away quickly.

Kali felt crushed by his lack of warmth and just let him go, turning to Gimli, she handed him the axe. "Your cousin told me to give this to you with his greetings," she said flatly. The Dwarf took it and sadly moved away, leaving Kali alone as she stood facing the great wooden doors, waiting alone for Aragorn to come back.


	15. Hope

She sat there and waited for hours, dozing off some and staring at the door anxiously. Finally Legolas went to talk to her, "May I speak with you?"

"Speak away," she answered, not moving her eyes from the door. She was focused on proving that she was right no matter what.

"How do you know that Aragorn is alive, is it just a feeling?"

"I just know. You should trust my instincts. I was right about the orcs, Merry and Pippin, Gandalf, and the people that were still alive. Do you not trust me?" She tore her eyes away from the wooden doors and looked into his eyes. He saw no lie there, only determination. He sighed and stood,

"Let me check your wound." She stood with him and allowed herself to be led away from her spot on the steps. He took her over to a large rock near the water; no one was around this area of the fortress at the moment. Legolas had her sit with her back to him; she felt shivers run down her spine, he hesitated slightly before taking the edge of the tunic's neckline and moving it down so he could see the extent of her cut. It was mostly healed and about the length of his hand, but no wider than his smallest finger. He gently touched it again, this time she didn't flinch; her skin was so soft he had a hard time not stroking it. When everything appeared to be fine Legolas reluctantly put the collar back in back and stepped back, "It looks fine,"

They walked back to the stairs in silence until Legolas heard something, "Aragorn!" he exclaimed and walked fast, by the time they had gotten to the steps Aragorn came into view with Gimli. _"You're late."_ Legolas said in elvish. Then he feigned concern, "You look terrible,"

Aragorn knew that the elf was teasing him, he grinned and clapped his hand on Legolas' shoulder, then he saw Kali standing behind Legolas. He smiled and hugged her, Legolas tapped his shoulder and handed him a necklace. He spoke softly in elvish to the man and smiled, glancing at Kali. Aragorn turned to her once more, "Thank you for not despairing," Then he continued on to the council room.

When Aragorn pushed open the council room doors all conversation stopped; "How is this possible?" King Théoden wondered.

Aragorn got right down to business, "There is an army heading here, they will be here by nightfall."

"How many?"

"Ten Thousand strong at least."

"Ten Thousand?"

"Isengaurd has emptied."

Théoden seemed to be thinking while at the same time stressing out, and Kali knew that that wasn't a good strategy for thinking. Thinking under pressure is never a good idea; you come up with stupid plans like- "Tell the women and children to make for the cave and to barricade the entrance. Get every man and strong lad able to bear arms ready for battle by nightfall!" yeah, like that. _Wait; did he actually just say that?_ Kali speculated. _Dang it…_

She helped get the women and children into the caves throughout the rest of the day, and when the sun was nearing the ground a guard came up to her and Eowen. "You need to get in as soon as possible my ladies." Kali and Eowen tried to duck past the man but her held firm, "I have orders to make sure all the women and children are sent into the caves." Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli came around the corner; the girls ran to them and pleaded.

"They are sending me into the caves with the women and children!" exclaimed Eowen looking at Aragorn, "You know I can fight just as well as any man!"

Aragorn sighed and said, "It is for the best that you go and stay safe Lady Eowen."

"They fight alongside you, and they don't have to. They fight with you because they love you!"

Kali was struck by the pain in her friend's voice in that last statement. She put her hand on her friend's shoulder in understanding.

"Perhaps it is for the best that you go into the caves with Lady Eowen, Kali." Legolas stated. This just made Kali angry.

"I can't die, you have more chance of living if I am around. Besides I'd rather die a thousand more times than sit by idly as my friends get killed and some babe be ripped from its mother's cold, dead hands! I am fighting alongside you, Legolas, whether you want me to or not!"

"I don't think there is anything we can do to stop her from finding a way to fight, just let it go." Aragorn advised Legolas. The Guard came over to get Kali and Eowen, but the older girl just stormed right past him and into the caves.

"Farmers, stable boys; these are no soldiers." Aragorn commented as he inspected the crowd of men in the armory.

"Most have seen too many winters!" Gimli observed gruffly.

"Or too few," Legolas said, looking out at the four smaller boys. "The men are frightened; I can see it in their eyes." All motion stopped in the room, the men turned their gaze to the elf. _"And they should be!"_ Legolas continued in elvish, _"Two hundred… against Ten thousand?"_

Aragorn turned to him, _"It may not be as impossible as it seems,"_

_"Aragorn, I don't think you are seeing this clearly; they are going to die!"_ Legolas cried, raising his voice. Kali felt shocked, he never raised his voice, especially to Aragorn.

"Then I shall die as one of them!" Aragorn exclaimed so the men could understand him, then he stormed out of the room. Legolas tried to follow him but Gimli held him back,

"Let him go lad."

Legolas saw a blur of motion as Kali too, ran from the room. He went after her instead, finding her outside. She was crying and hiccupping, Legolas instantly felt ashamed of how he had acted in the armory. "Kali," he said softly, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. She didn't turn around,

"Go away,"

He was shocked by her words, but wanted to apologize, "I'm sorry for what I said in there, how much did you understand?" A sad 'hic' came from the distressed girl,

"None of it, but you raised your voice… that scared me… what were you arguing about anyway?"

"I don't think any of us except you will live, Kali. The odds are too great. If you-"

He was cut off by her hand slapping him across the face without warning; he touched his stinging cheek and looked at her in hurt. Her eyes were red from crying and she looked miserable; he felt like he actually deserved that.

"Don't say that we are going to die, don't say it's hopeless, don't say that chances are I might die. You can't lose hope over something as silly as numbers! Look at me," he looked her in the eyes and saw that same steady determination, "We are going to live, we are going to save as many people as possible, and you are not going to lose hope, yes?" She glared at him, "I will slap you again," Then she sniffed and wiped a tear off her cheek. He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her he was worried about her, but he decided that wasn't the wisest thing to do right then.

"You are right, there is still hope." He didn't say that he feared it was going to be their last time together but he did lean down and kiss her forehead lovingly. Then he walked off in search of Aragorn.

The elf found him donning his chainmail and leather in a room adjacent to the armory and handed him his knife, "Forgive me, I was wrong to despair."

Aragorn smiled and took his knife, _"There is nothing to forgive Legolas."_

Kali walked into the room with Gimli, trying to put on some chainmail; "I'm just trying to get this adjusted!" he grunted. Kali was giggling behind her hand, trying to muffle her laughter. The chainmail fell down and clumped on the floor, way past the dwarf's feet, making it look like he was wearing a dress. He frowned at them, "It's a little tight across the chest!" They all grinned at him in amusement.

Suddenly a sound blasted through the room from outside. _It sounds like a llama passing gas and howling at the same time…_ Kali thought with a giggle. Legolas' eyes widened, "That is no orc horn!" then the company followed the excited elf out into the night air and down to the gate. Gimli tripped on the long chainmail and Kali stopped to get him out of it. Once that was done they all rushed to the gate, and an army of elves marched through in single file. Haldir stepped forward, "I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell; once men and elves fought and died together, we have come to honor that allegiance."

Aragorn rushed forward and hugged the elf; the elf seemed confused but gradually accepted the embrace, 'You are most welcome!" Aragorn said.

Later at her position on the wall next to Legolas and Gimli, Kali shuddered and looked at the storm clouds above. _I hope it doesn't start raining…_ she thought. She looked around her, men and elves alike stood at the wall, wearing armor and grim expressions. Kali realized she was smiling and wearing no armor; _well, what need have I for frowns and armor anyway?_ She felt something grasp her hand, she looked over at Legolas, who was smiling to himself and holding her hand. She felt hope swell within her; _he knows it's going to be alright, I am so glad_… Aragorn came over to them also,

"Let's hope that luck of yours that keeps you alive lasts the night!" Gimli said to Aragorn.

"Your friends are with you Aragorn," Legolas said.

"Let's hope they last the night…" Gimli muttered, Kali giggled at his remark. Thunder crashed and boomed and the opposing force finally showed its ugly face. And man was it _ugly_! A wall of black marched towards them unfalteringly. Then it started raining. _Damn it…_ Kali groaned inwardly.

Gimli kept hopping up and down, trying to see over the wall. "What's happening out there?"

"Shall describe it to you?" Legolas asked, and then looked down at his friend, "Or would you like me to find you a box?" Kali laughed and entwined his fingers with hers, Gimli fake-laughed along with her.

Finally the approaching army halted a little ways from the wall and fell silent. Both sides waited for the first strike.

_"Archers!"_ Aragorn shouted,

Legolas let go of her hand and nocked an arrow in his bow and drew back. _"Their armor is weak under the arm, and at the neck."_ He murmured to himself in elvish as he aimed.

Kali drew her bowstring back and aimed for an orc, but did not fire. Silence. Then an old man accidentally fired his bow,

_"Hold!"_ Aragorn called,

An orc on the front line fell over dead with an arrow in it. Slowly realizing that one of their kin was dead, they started to scream and howl in fury, charging at the wall.

_"Fire!" _Aragorn yelled, and all the elves fired their arrows into the crowd of orcs.

Legolas and Kali fired their arrows and kept doing so until ladders started to rise from the crowd of orcs and move towards the wall. Orcs started to pour into the keep and Kali switched to using her knives, but Legolas stubbornly kept using his bow even in close-ranged combat.

Gimli cut down two orcs, one right after the other and turned to Legolas, "That's two already!"

"I'm on seventeen!" The elf called back, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

_Well, boys will be boys…_ Kali thought as she stabbed an orc next to Gimli and dodged a charge of another. The orcs just kept coming and coming, and the hooks that held the ladders to the wall were made of iron, but the ropes could be cut. "Legolas!" she called, he rushed over to her side. "The ropes, can you shoot them?" He did so and a ladder fell off the wall and crashed down on the army of orcs. Legolas gave Kali a dazzling smile and he leapt away to sever the rest of them. Kali cut down as many orcs as she could as she kept near Gimli during the battle.

An explosion rocked the building and rubble went flying into the air, causing Kali and Gimli to be thrown apart and tossed around with the falling rock. _What? They have gunpowder?_ Kali picked herself up and found that she was still on the wall, but Gimli was nowhere to be found. "Gimli! Gimli!" she cried, trying to hear any response over the hoots and screams. She stumbled over something and found that it was a young boy, only nine years of age, holding the body of another child. Kali was shocked to the core at this, she had known that they were expected to fight, but not on the front line! "Come here!" she called to the boy; he staggered out of their shelter and came to her, "I'll get you somewhere safe, don't worry." She carefully led him away and through the inner gates to the place where the women and children were kept. She left him outside the door, "Stay here, we may need you to help," then she left and prayed that his assistance wouldn't be needed. She saw two other boys amidst the men and helped them out as well, and directed them to where the other boy was. Once she was done, she realized that almost everyone but Legolas was off of the outer wall due to orcs swarming the first level. She ran through a group of orcs and received a cut on her shoulder, she didn't care, and she was going to help him. Once she got up onto the first wall she stabbed as many orcs as were in her path. Then she saw him, standing alone, helping Gimli and Aragorn up over the wall, with his back unguarded, Orcs surrounding him. There was no way in Middle Earth she was going to let him get stabbed in the back. She jumped behind him just as an orc's blade was plunged forward, intending to gut the elf. Instead it stabbed into Kali's chest and she cried out in agony.

Legolas whipped around and sliced the orcs around him with his knives and knelt down next to Kali. "Kali!" He picked her up in his arms and ran, with Aragon and Gimli close behind, to the second gate. Orcs were now filling the entire first level of the Keep and more were streaming in from the hole and the broken gate. They hurried to the last room, where the door to the caves and the boys Kali had rescued; they knew that the men were all rushing there to make a last stand. As they ran through, the survivors boarded up and closed the door, shutting it as a last defense from the orcs that raged outside. Seven men, five elves, and one dwarf still stood against the orcs and their goal. Kali lie limp in Legolas' arms, the bleeding had stopped and her body had grown cold.

While all the men rushed about desperately trying to board up the door, the elves quietly resigning themselves to their fate, and the King of Rohan despairing; Legolas stroked Kali's hair softly, _"My love, please don't die for good. I want to take you to Mirkwood, and to all the wonders of Middle Earth. There is so much that I haven't told you, so much that I have to tell you. But the most important thing I have to say is; I love you," _Legolas breathed gently in elvish, voice breaking with emotion. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he held her close, it fell on her heart and soaked into the wound.


	16. Back From Death

"L-legolas?" His eyes snapped open and he saw that her eyes were open and still that beautiful shade of amber. He exhaled heavily and all the weight of suddenly losing her left his soul and he held her hand tighter in his, determined to keep her alive by sheer willpower. Gimli saw her wake and gave a startled rumble, alerting Aragorn and the King. They turned to see Kali leaning on Legolas' shoulder and starting to stand.

"Are you able to walk?" Aragorn asked, "Legolas, bring her into the caves and tell them to seal the entrance." The elf looked ready to do so, not wanting for Kali to feel pain any more, but she pushed away from his and stood shakily on her own.

"No, I will defend this Keep till I'm killed so many times that I can't come back!" She glared defiantly at the men in the room, as if they could take her from her place as a defendant of this place.

"It is over, the fortress is taken!" Théoden cried in defeat.

"You men have died defending it, they still defend it!" Aragorn told the King.

"What would you have me do?" Asked the King, tiredness in his voice,

"Ride out with me, ride out and meet them!"

"For death and glory?"

"For Rohan, for your people!"

This seemed to stir within the King a feeling of hope, and the men seemed to feel it as well, for they boarded the door with more energy than they had before. When all the horses were brought out, Kali stayed away from them and helped Gimli up to the tower of the great horn. When she came back down the few elves that had survived had taken up posts at the door with the little boys as a last defense, and she joined them and watched the grown men with Aragorn, Théoden, and Legolas mount their horses. Then in her mind she felt panic; _what if I never see him again?!_ She looked at Legolas; the elf she loved being around, the one who was willing to be there for her, and the one she… loved. Yes, she loved Legolas, knowing this sent her a sense of warmth that she hadn't felt since she was alive. She ran forward to stop him, but his horse advanced and her hand brushed his briefly, he looked back at her with longing, he wished their last moments together were not so short, but they were enough. He rode out of the keep and didn't look back.

Orcs that the riders had missed came flooding in and started to rush towards them in a flood of hate. Kali and the elves stood in front of the children and protected them as best as they could, but in the end Kali opened the doors to the caves as the elves defended her. She ushered the boys in to find their mother and searched there for someone else. And then she found her,

"Hey,"

Eowen looked at her, surprised.

"What are you waiting for? We need backup!" She smiled the brightest smile the Kali had ever seen her make as she ran from the cave, grabbed a sword, and defended the caves alongside her friend. After most of the orcs were dead and only the occasional orc wandered in, Kali and Eowen began to wonder if reinforcements were able to come and help defeat the enemy. Soon enough the men on horseback came in, followed by all of their friends, who thankfully were unharmed. Eomir ran to his sister; she had received a cut on her shoulder just like Kali, and she bore it with pride whilst holding her sword in plain sight, unflinching in the gaze of men. _I'm so proud of her…_ Kali thought and smiled, tenderly touching her friend's shoulder, then making way for her brother to embrace her. Then she saw Legolas come through, she just stood still in awe as he leapt from his horse and quickly came to her. They embraced and no words were said, there was no need, the moment was perfect, they were both alive, and they had each other.

On horses again, Kali was not happy. But all of the Fellowship was alive, and next they were heading to Isengaurd. Kali rode behind Aragorn, who had to calm his horse down the whole way. They approached the tower they saw Merry and Pippin sitting on a hill nearby at the entrance. Merry stood and grinned, "Welcome My Lords! To Isengaurd!" He pointed behind him and stuck the pipe back in his mouth.

Gimli seemed outraged at the sight of them relaxing, "…And here we find you feasting… And smoking!" He roared. Legolas and Aragorn shared an amused smile and continued on.

"The salted pork is particulary good," Pippin intergected, making the dwarf's eyes widen in loging,

"Salted pork?" the company laughed and continued on through the gates.

Water reaching Kali's knees swamped the base of the tower in a muddy brown. A giant tree thing lumbered towards them, Kali was flabbergasted at how humanoid a tree could look.

"The filth of Sarumon is washing away… but there is a wizard that we cannot deal with,"

Gandalf lead the rest of them to the base of the tower and called up to Sarumon. "Come out, coward!" The wizard appeared on the balcony and looked down at them. Then something flickered, something gauzy in the air seemed to move, the others didn't seem to notice, but Kali was aware of something off. It was see through and moving in the light wind, she squinted at the tower, and thought she saw two wizards; on top of the tower, and one on the balcony. Which was the real Sarumon? She jumped off the horse and into the water; she slogged through the mud as the fellowship watched her in puzzlement as she pulled out her knives. She saw the thin curtain in front of her and swung her weapons at it. It cut through it like mist, and the entire mist dissolved, and they all saw that Sarumon was really standing on the top of the tower, looking alarmed. Gandalf looked surprised and turned to Kali, "Child, how did you… oh, the knives of disenchantment, keep them ready, you may need them." Kali nodded and stayed where she was during the rest of the exchange of words between the wizards. After a while Sarumon got incredibly pissed and threw down a rock the size of a cannon ball of the top of the tower, it nearly crushed Kali with the force of a rhino, but she was pulled out of the way just in time and set behind Aragorn on the horse once more. Pippin seemed curious at what the object was and got of their horse to investigate, he pulled it out of the mud. Gandalf took it quickly from him and the group left. Kali felt certain that the object meant worse things were yet to come.

They had made the journey to Edoras and had arrived there that morning; a feast to honor the fallen would be held that night. All the warriors and their wives stood in the Great Hall and toasted to the souls of the men who had died in battle, "Hail the victorious dead!"

"Hail!" they all responded, then drank. Kali brought the goblet to her lips and sipped; the deer blood was more delicious than she thought it would be. The cook had learned of her preferences of food and had bled the deer and kept the blood in a separate keg for her, she had thanked the cook many times before the feast. Most of the people had heard rumors of what she was, and most people were a bit skeptical even though her eyes were an obvious sign. A drinking contest had started up over on one side of the room, she heard Gimli's roars of challenge so she went over to investigate. And Indeed Gimli had challenged the elf to a drinking game, a few men joined as well and Kali looked on in amusement beside Eomir, a man she knew to be a carful drinker, or so her friend said. The men had all passed out after the seventh ale or so, but the elf and dwarf kept going, and Eomir and Kali kept staring in bemusement as they downed tankard after tankard. Legolas knew she was watching him, he could hear her giggles of amusement at the insults Gimli was hurling at him between gulps of ale. He looked over at her as he took a long sip; she entranced him so, her voice, her silly laugh that ended in a loud snort, her personality like a ray of sunshine, her stubbornness and determination, and her ability with handling and comforting children were all things that made him feel even more attracted to her. _She would make a wonderful mother… What am I thinking?!_ He shook his head and Gimli raised an eyebrow, thinking it was the alcohol. He glanced at her again, and noticed the slender curve of her waist; _I just want to put my arms around her, to touch her, to feel what it's really like…_ his hands tingled at the thought of touching more of her. He put down his glass instantly, not wanting to drink anymore; _it had started to affect my mind! Never before have I had these urges to…to…_ Shame filled him and he looked over at Eomir, "My fingers are tingling, I think it's starting to affect me!" Eomir raised an eyebrow and Kali laughed her strange laugh.

Gimli's eyes were crossed and ale had thoroughly soaked his beard, "See? He can't even hold his liquor…" then he fell backward and passed out.

Legolas looked slightly amused, "Game over," he calmly stated. Then he excused himself to drag the unconscious dwarf to the Fellowship's room.

Eomir looked down slightly at Kali with interest; he had met her for the first time properly this morning, but had not gotten to talk long. He thought that she was, indeed, lovely, and her amber eyes only made her more attractive. "How long will your company be staying with us in Edoras, Lady Kali?" She looked thoughtful for a second then shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess it is up to Gandalf to decide." They fell silent and Kali took another sip from her glass. He glanced over and saw the contents,

"So it's true, you are one of the dead!" he exclaimed with awe, she shrugged again and continued to drink.

"It's not human blood, it's deer; you are safe from being drained." She joked. He laughed and relaxed even further. She was attractive to him; the light blossom pink lips, the pale cheeks, the darker hair made a beautiful contrast to the skin, and her alluring amber eyes. Not to mention her figure, she was on the shorter side but not lacking in curves and a slim waist. Eomir wondered if she was the type to look for trouble with men, she didn't seem like it, but she did travel with several in her company. _Maybe I could test that_… he poured some ale into an empty tankard and gave it to her. She cringed away,

"I do not drink, thank you." She said politely. He thought it strange but didn't say anything.

"Would you care to dance?" he tried again.

"I don't know any of the dances of this place," She said, watching the dancers in the middle of the room. Merry and Pippin seemed to not care for the traditional dances and were being cheered on as they jigged in their own way.

"I will teach you," He said and led her out to the dance floor. When Legolas came back to the room only a minute later he saw Kali and Eomir dancing together in a lively dance with many other partners involved. She was laughing and having a fun time… so he just leaned back on a column and watched the human prince spin her around. Aragorn joined him after a minute, and leaned on the column next to his friend.

"Is it right to want to touch who you love?"

This question startled Aragorn, he looked over at his fried, whose eyes were fixed on Kali.

Gandalf appeared by their side and answered his question, "Yes, at least for humans. Elves usually don't feel that, only those few who are meant to be, by fate ever feel that… You feel it towards the girl?" he said with a grandfatherly smile.

Legolas looked at Kali, having a good time, laughing, dancing around with Merry now. "Yes, I love her." There was no doubt in his voice or his gaze, Aragorn and Gandalf could see that he would never let her die or suffer, they trusted him, they trusted his love.

Later that night Kali and Eowen were kicked out of their room to accommodate the other guests, so Eowen slept out in the main Hall and Kali stood outside. She gazed at the stars and listened to the quiet sounds of the night, feeling more alive than ever. She loved the brief moments when her heart seemed to beat, but then again it scared her, a heartbeat meant she was vulnerable. To love or death she didn't know. She could die if she were alive, but love, how could that harm her? She was afraid, it was new, it was strange to her, these feelings. She felt him move to stand next to her, his hood was pulled over his head and he stood facing in the same direction as her, east, towards the threat in Mordor. No words were said; a presence of unease clouded both their sights. Aragorn joined them, that was when Legolas spoke,

"A great unrest rises in the east, he is near Aragorn." Then he turned to both, a panicked look in his eyes, "He is here!" he ran with all speed to the room where the rest of the Fellowship were staying. Aragorn and Kali followed, concerned. When they got there they saw Pippin holding that strange object, but he was writhing on the floor in pain and the object was glowing. Legolas grabbed the Hobbit and pulled him away from the thing, but it didn't seem to work. Kali grabbed the glowing object from his hands and was surprised it came right into hers. But as she held it pain started to creep into her mind, and she felt that she was being dragged under the water and watched intently. Then she saw the eye, and she knew the horror that lie to the east. It searched her soul and scarred her mind, shook her brutally and put her back down into a grave. _My servant… come by the black ships… bring to me yourself alone… master the black book…_ then all was lost, only darkness remained.

"Kali… Can you hear me?" the voice reached her ears and she flinched, no it wasn't his voice. It was Legolas, not Sauron. She flinched again at the great Eye's name. Then the elf was pushed aside and Gandalf shook her by her shoulders, "Did you say anything?!" all compassion in his voice was gone, in it now was a harsh urgency. Kali couldn't focus, her head lolled to the side, her eyes unfocused. "Speak child!" she tried to open her mouth but found it tightly sealed. But a little sound came from her throat and Legolas moved forward again, but was pushed back by the Wizard. "I swear you will be dead if you don't tell me!"

Aragorn came forward, "Maybe she cannot speak! Gandalf, show her some mercy!"

Gandalf turned to him in fury, "Sauron will not show us mercy, why should we!"

"Because that's what makes us… better than him." Everyone turned to Kali, who had regained her voice. "We fight for being fair, compassionate, and just. He seeks to destroy love and kindness; do you want to be like him?" No one said anything, Kali still looked a little dazed, but she sat up and tried to steady herself.

Gandalf's face softened, "For your short life you have such wisdom, but what was it you saw?"

"He spoke in the most terrible voice," she shuddered, "I saw nothing bat the great eye. It told me to go to the black ships and go with them, something about a black book." At this Gandalf looked aggrieved,

"He says lies; do not do as he says, ever. Are you prepared to be killed for the sake of the company?" Gandalf asked, looking deep into her eyes with a hardhearted stare. "Because if he takes control of you, you would kill everyone in the room and more."

Kali shuddered and nodded, "Yes, I would sooner die than kill one of you,"

Gandalf took her word and turned to Legolas, "If she does, you will have to kill her."


	17. Confessions

**Sorry guys… I've been sick. (And when I write when I'm sick all Mordor breaks loose…) Here's the next chapter, I hope it makes up for the long wait! **

The next day Gandalf and Pippin left for Gondor, the other great city of men to warn the steward of Pippin's vision. The white tree burning, it meant war, and soon. Aragorn was constantly on edge and apprehensive, waiting for the beacon of Gondor to light. He wanted to get over there and fast, but it didn't come. On the third day of restlessness and idleness Aragorn ran into the great hall and called, "The beacon! The beacon is lit! Gondor calls for aid!" Théoden and his council looked up from their maps,

"Then Rohan will answer!"

And so by nightfall all the horseman of the city, the Fellowship, and Eowen were camped far outside the city in the plains. They were gathering a force of men and horses throughout the kingdom to rush to the aid of Gondor. To Kali the men already gathered seemed like quite the formidable fighting force but the King seemed unimpressed. Aragorn too looked dispirited by the lack of men. They made camp; Aragorn sharing a tent with Legolas and Gimli, and Kali and Eowen sharing a tent together. When they settled in, Aragorn felt restless; Legolas knelt down next to the man, "Get some rest Aragorn."

"Where are you going Elf?" Gimli inquired from the tent doorway.

Legolas walked past him, "I'm going to clear my head." As he walked alone through the camp, men passed him, talked to each other by the fire, or fixed armor and weapons. What Gandalf had said three days ago to him still haunted his mind; _'… you will have to kill her.'_ Why him? Of all the Fellowship, why would he be responsible for Kali's death? He knew he couldn't kill her; he loved her! He dreaded the feeling he would experience if he actually felt her dying in his arms, and if it was _his_ fault. _I would die…_

"Thinking of him?" Kali jumped a little at Eowen's voice, startled from her thoughts.

"W-who?!" she stuttered, only half knowing who she was talking about. The older girl grinned and shook Kali's shoulders,

"Legolas! You love him don't you?" Kali blushed and her breathing grew fast. "I thought so!" Eowen cried and tickled her friend, sending them both into peals of laughter. When they had calmed down Eowen looked at Kali again, "Do you think they will let us go with them this time?" Kali frowned, she didn't know, Aragorn was hesitant letting her come with them this far, but when he found out the Eowen was accompanying the men to the camp he was fine.

"Maybe we'll have to sneak into battle!"

"Sneaking into battle?! What's the fun in that?!" Eowen exclaimed, "You are supposed to have a loud battle cry!"

"What if we disguise as men?"

"I don't think it would work for you my friend, you are too pretty. Your face would cause the orcs to pause in confusion!"

"But you're more beautiful Eowen! Your long silky hair is a treasure, mine tangles too easily!" Kali played with the long blond locks and tugged on them lightly, "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you fancy Aragorn?"

Eowen had her turn to blush and mumble, "Is it so obvious?"

"Very." Kali said solemnly, "You could spot it leagues away, in a snow storm, while half buried underground, and blind. Eowen; it is that obvious." Eowen blushed harder. Kali laughed and patted her head, "But don't worry, Aragorn is thick in the skull when it comes to these things!"

"Should I go and confess do you think?" Eowen asked nervously.

Kali knew that it would end in heartbreak because she remembered clear as day that Aragorn and Arwen were to marry, but she nonetheless encouraged her friend to do so. "Go, I wish you luck. And if you are brave, I will be brave too."

Eowen's eyes lit up, "You mean you will tell Legolas you love him?"

Kali smiled and blushed again, "Yes, that is what I intend to do,"

"Best of luck," Eowen said, a bit breathlessly. And they parted outside their tent.

Kali walked through the tents and dodged the occasional horse or Rider, looking for the elf. While she was searching someone clapped a hand on her shoulder; she spun around. Eomir, he seemed a little speechless at first as Kali stared at him, waiting for him to talk.

"I will be riding into battle soon, for glory… for death perhaps…" He sounded sad, a little worried, and there was a hint of something else that Kali had often heard in Eowen's tone when she spoke to Aragorn. "But you, you will live, and so I ask of you… to remember me."

Kali smiled, "Of course! How could I ever forget you? You are so kind and warmhearted, how could anyone forget?" Before she could think she hugged him. He was startled, then he relaxed and returned the embrace.

Returning from his walk, Legolas passed by and saw something that made envy spark inside him for the first time; Kali was hugging a man. His first instinct was to shoot the man and ask questions later, but he paused when he saw Kali's delicate smile and the way she was looking at the Rider with sympathy. Then he noticed the Rider was Eomir; he quickly replayed all the times he had seen Eomir and Kali together. The drinking game, she stood next to him, the Rider had taught her how to dance the traditional Rohiric dances, and they talked for a while as the company rode to the camp, but that was it as far as Legolas knew. He crept closer to them, jealousy fueling his curiosity.

"And Eowen, I know that you are great friends with her; could you look after her for me, if I'm not there?" Kali nodded solemnly, that she could do. Then the Rider took her hands in his,

Legolas tensed, hiding behind a tent flap.

"And… I know this is a lot to ask,"

Kali was a little uneasy with the way that he said that last part, but she stayed put.

"But would you consider bearing my-"

_Crash! _

The next thing Kali knew she was quickly being tugged along away from Eomir, who was knocked unconscious and on the ground. She looked up at the person who was holding her hand and pulling her along; _Legolas_. Kali was confused, Okay… what just happened?! Did he knock him out? Or was there an accident? And Attack?! "Would you mind telling me what's going on?!" She cried, pulling her wrist from the elf's grip. He stopped and turned around, looking her dead in the eyes; what she saw there scared her slightly. A fierce and intense gaze that pierced her heart, she gasped and tried to stumble back but his hands were on her shoulders, preventing her from going anywhere.

"Do you not know what he was asking of you?!" He asked furiously.

Kali shook her head in confusion, "He never finished his sentence!"

Legolas gripped her shoulders tighter, it hurt but Kali didn't say so; she still didn't understand why Legolas was getting all defensive. "He was asking you to give birth to his child, Kali." Then it hit her like a semi-truck on steroids. _Holy shit… he was asking what?! He wanted to-_ Legolas read her expression of horror. "Yes Kali, he did. You need to be more careful… if you had agreed to that not knowing what he meant…" Then all sternness faded from his features and he gently held Kali close. She was shaking badly so he stroked her back softly and hummed a lullaby to her to calm her down. She was crying into his tunic and making a big wet spot on the front of it, but Legolas didn't mind it in the least. Then she looked up at him,

"That must have hurt! Are you sure Eomir will be alright when he wakes up?" Surprised, Legolas had a baffled expression on his face, and then it turned to one of amusement.

"After all that you are still worried about him!" He smiled lovingly and stoked her hair soothingly, "I'm sure he will be fine. Maybe he will have a little headache to remind him not to mess with you… And right now I am not sure what would be worse, leaving you here with him in the camp or bringing you with me into war just so I can protect you from lustful men…"

Kali giggled at his dilemma. "Just take me with you!" He still looked unsure,

"We are taking the path of the dead, Kali; it will be very dangerous…"

"I am dead!" Kali exclaimed then looked down at the ground and mumbled, "... Idiot…"

Legolas raised his eyebrows at the word 'Idiot' but he wisely kept his mouth shut and just took her hand and continued walking.

"And by stopping him back there, you weren't worried about my virginity of anything, were you?" She joked, expecting him to laugh it off. He whipped around, eyes wide.

"How old are you?"

Kali was startled by his sudden interest in her age, "Er… when last I checked… Seventeen nearing Eighteen?"

"And you're still a virgin?" And it hit her like a truck.

"And you're not?!" He blushed slightly and turned away quickly, but it told Kali all she needed to know, "You are, aren't you!"

"I never said anything,"

"But your face gave away everything."

"…Strange, I have spent the last Two-Thousand years learning how to disguise my emotions, and you just see right through…"

"It's a waste of time."

"What?"

Kali looked up at him with radiant golden eyes, "Hiding emotion. Why do you think we have emotion if we are not to use it?" He was so close just then to leaning down and kissing her, but he restrained himself. He wanted to know for sure that she loved him first.

They met Gimli by the boy's tent and pulled the other horse with them, despite Kali and the horse's protests. Aragorn passed and Gimli stood up,

"Where do you think you're going laddie?"

Aragorn held up a hand, "Not this time Gimli."

Legolas and Kali came around the tent with the horse, Legolas had a teasing smile on his face, "Haven't you learned by now the stubbornness of dwarves?" Kali laughed quietly and then sobered up when Aragon's horse give her the stink-eye.

"Alright, I will allow you two to come, but Kali; stay." Pain jabbed Aragorn in the shoulder, Kali had punched him.

"I'm already dead! What's the point of fearing of losing your life when you don't have one!..." She exclaimed angrily, "…Idiots…" she muttered and shook her head.

As they rode into the mist of the mountains, men began to wonder and exclaim loudly about their leaving. But they paid them no mind and didn't look back. Kali sat behind Legolas with her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting on his back, she wished that she could have said goodbye and good luck to Eowen, but Kali knew that somehow her friend would be alright. They were all quiet because a heaviness in the air; it seemed to make all of them feel drained and hopeless as they continued farther into the mountains.

The horses began to misbehave and act up when the first rays of morning sunlight should have reached the valley. But it remained cold and still like the early morning without the sunrise. Aragorn and Legolas dismounted, helping Gimli and Kali off. The horses split and ran, leaving their riders alone. They began to walk; Aragorn in front, Gimli next, Legolas and Kali in the rear. As the feeling of despair grew almost unbearable they all forced themselves forward with whatever hope or thought they were clinging to; Arwen, the shining beauty of the crystal caves, Kali, Legolas. Legolas' hand caught Kali's and she stopped and looked back at him; he silently mouthed, _'wait,'_ so she did. They stood there until Aragorn and Gimli were no longer in sight, then Legolas tuned to Kali.

"You know we may be heading to our death," was all he said.

"I know."

He tilted her chin up so his eyes looked into hers, "But you will live, yes?"

"No."

_Silence… _

"I would rather die than live in this world without you."

"You stole my words…" Then he leaned in and kissed her passionately, as if they knew the world was going to end.


	18. For Her Sake

**So sorry, a lot has happened in the past few weeks. I now give you the long awaited next chapter. I am sorry (again) for the inconvenience. **

When they caught up to the other two, they had reached the doorway to the realm of the Mountain King. Ancient pictures carved in stone above the door seemed to glow with darkness as Kali looked at them. "The way is shut; it was made by those who are dead." Legolas read. A chilling silence hung in the air menacingly.

Aragorn glared defiantly at the doorway; "I do not fear death!" he strode right in. Kali followed after, then Legolas quickly went after her, forgetting his fear. Leaving Gimli, the dwarf.

"An elf go underground when a dwarf dare not? It's unheard of! I'll never hear the end of this…" he muttered as he slowly jogged in after the Fellowship. Wading through human bones and stepping on skulls he found them on a small rocky path in the darkness. Kali's eyes glowed and Aragorn's sword lit the way, and by that light they moved on. The path became covered and littered with human skulls; Aragorn bowed his head in respect of the dead, Legolas helped Kali walk lightly over them, and Gimli winced every time his foot crunched down on one.

Finally they came to the entrance to the caverns, and once they went through the wall sealed shut behind them. "I don't like this…" Aragorn muttered, keeping his sword at the ready. A glowing figure appeared a little ways from them;

"The way is shut; it was made by those who are dead… and the dead keep it." He rasped and grinned. Ghosts appeared on the far wall, floated down to the chasm floor, and surrounded the Fellowship. Legolas pushed Kali behind him and shot an arrow into the Ghost King, who was coming closer. It went right through without harming the figure; Aragorn stepped forward and blocked the King's sword with his own. "That sword was broken!" the horror in his voice was evident and he gazed at the sword with terror.

"It has been remade." Aragorn said, then he swung at the ghost king again and threw him back to the floor. "I am Isildur's heir. You have a debt to repay. Fight for me, and regain your honor!" The ghosts looked skeptical. "What say you?" Aragon uttered as he waded through the crowd of sectors, keeping them at bay with the sword. "What say you?" He looked down the blade of his sword and stared the King down.

The Fellowship stood on the bank of the river, waiting for the black ships to come sailing up the river. "Legolas," Aragorn muttered to his friend, "Fire a warning shot." The Elf aimed, and at the last moment Gimli nudged his bow to the side so his arrow went off-course and pierced one of the pirates. Everyone looked at Gimli in exasperation; could he just lay off killing people?!

"Alright," Gimli called, "We warned you, now surrender."

"To you and what army?" laughed the captain, sneering at the company.

"This one," Kali said, and the entire ghost armada came shooting out of the mountain right at the ships. And they all attacked, in seconds the ships were theirs.

Kali sat on the stairs of the first boat, calmly waiting as the black ships sailed on to Gondor. Aragorn stood at the bow and Gimli was below decks inspecting the weapons. Legolas came over and sat next to her, "Maybe we have some chance of winning." He said quietly, taking her hand and holding it. She squeezed it lightly back and kissed his cheek shyly, blushing a little. He stared at her small blush for a second then decided he really wanted to see more of it. "Are you embarrassed? Shy?" He put his face really close to hers and her blush grew. He loved seeing her flustered like this, it was adorable. He still liked her smile better though, "Smile," He whispered and pecked her on the lips. She gasped a little and smiled timidly, she had never had this kind of feeling about anyone else before, it was new and strange, comfortable and familiar. What was it? Love. Whatever the odds, they would overcome any obstacle.

When they arrived an army of orcs waited for them on the bank. "You're late pirate scum!" The Fellowship jumped off the side of the boat and landed on the shore. The orcs realized that those were all the people on board and grew confused. Then the army of ghosts swelled out of nowhere and attacked, followed by the Fellowship.

Orc after orc, she shot down until her arrows were gone. Pulling her knives out, she made use of Legolas' training and sliced at any attacker. But there just seemed to be no end to them. The elephants, bigger than she remembered the elephants from Earth being, seemed to be causing the Riders more trouble than the orcs were to the mounted warriors. Stomping around, the elephants squished whole horses flat like they were stepping on ants.

Kali saw Legolas leap up onto one and slice at the ropes holding the basket on top; all the people fell off the side as they were dragged down with it, but the leader stayed on. Legolas tried to make his way over to him, but the leader threw a spear and missed him by inches. But it was enough to knock him off balance for a second. Kali called out to him, worried that he might have been hit, but he turned to her and smiled slightly; he was alright. She nodded and parried a strike from an orc, then ran another through.

All too soon to be real, it was over. The ghosts carried away the orcs and elephants in a glowing green tide, leaving the Riders and her friends untouched. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas stood and waited for the ghosts to finish before conferring about their release. Kali sheathed her knives and ran to Legolas, throwing her arms around him and nearly knocking him off balance. She cried a little onto his shoulder, relived. _It's over, it's all over_. He squeezed her back and Aragorn and Gimli looked on smiling.

Legolas stoked her hair and held her close; her heart throbbed with delight and the feeling of ecstasy. _Finally… finally!_

A shattering scream of anguish tore through the battle field. Everyone turned to the sound; Eomir held the body of his sister in his arms, tears running down his face.

"EOWEN!"

_Two days later… _

Kali sat on the edge of the bed stroking the long golden hair of her friend, Eowen. She had received some wounds and it seemed that her arm was paralyzed. It was up to her friend to live, the choice to live through all that mental struggle… Kali felt her friend's forehead. Burning. She dipped the cloth in cool water once more and laid it on her friend's forehead. Eowen sighed in her sleep; Kali felt her heart sag, there wasn't much hope. But she would stay with her nonetheless, to the end.

Legolas stood in the doorway to Eowen's room in the infirmary. Kali hadn't spoken to him in days, tending to her friend took up all her time, but it still bothered him how Kali wouldn't speak to him, much less even look at him. If he came in to give her a meal she would ignore him and the food and stare at the wounded girl in distress. _Why?..._ he thought angrily.

Kali bent down and kissed Eowen's forehead lightly, then a tear fell; then they all fell. Not stopping, never-ending, flowing from the hole in her heart that her friend, the first friend she had had in many years, possessed. Warm and salty droplets fell gently on the pale beauty's fair face.

Legolas watched this in shock, was this how deep a bond between women really was? Did Kali love her friend more than she loved him? _No… that can't be… unless she never really loved me. But…_ His mind reeled from all this, his heart telling him one thing, his mind another. It made him feel nauseous, jealousy again. He had felt it when Eomir had talked to Kali at the camp that night, he felt it now. Maybe… he glanced at her again, if I let her go now I won't feel the pain of her losing interest in me, leaving me for another. Would she do that? Again his mind and heart clashed, and he turned away. I need… to be alone.

Kali didn't notice the single tear that he left behind on the stone floor for her sake.

**Sorry it's so short.**


	19. The Gate

"A diversion,"

"Certainty of death, small chance of success, what are we waiting for?"

"Sauron will suspect a trap; he will not take the bait."

"Oh, I think he will,"

Aragorn turned to the door just as Kali walked in, pale and distant. They all looked at her expectantly; Legolas frowned slightly, she looked so fragile, as if she would drift away if you so much as breathed on her. She glided into the room, her near translucent white dress drifting vaguely around her slender frame, and looked at her friend's faces with hopeless amber eyes. Aragorn walked over and gently took her limp hands in his, "I have a favor to ask of you," he started, she stayed silent, her eyes cast on the floor. "You can if you want to, I know it hurt you the last time, but we need you to put your hands on the stone that showed us the white tree burning. Can you do that for us?"

Legolas shot forward, "But it hurt her last time! You cannot ask her to do it again!"

"This is Kali's choice," Aragorn exclaimed, whipping around to face the elf, "You do not make her decisions for her, do you?"

"But-!"

"But nothing Legolas," A faint voice strained at their ears, they looked to see Kali drifting towards the pedestal which had on it the stone. "I came here to tell you that I want to do something, anything, to help this war end. I can't stand to see one more person die!" They were all silent as they watched her approach the pedestal. She put her hand on the stone, but this time she didn't flinch away; it glowed with power and took hold of her mind. The presence in her mind that once scared her, Sauron, she now ignored. Despite the stability of her mind, her face went pale and her hands shook; Legolas felt a surge of protective concern for her. He was not the only one; Eomir too, stood on edge as he watched her.

Dark light spilled from the globe as she gripped it tightly in her hands and willed herself to think only the words; _Lord Sauron, I am at your command. I will bring the King of Gondor to you, to Mordor. He thinks he can win, but it will be a trap; victory is the bait. One last strike to the world of men and it is yours; do we have a deal? _

The voice came in a dead rasp that shook her to her core; _and you will receive reward for aiding the darkness in its cause… and where is the Ring? _

_I have it. I stole it from that stupid Halfling and killed the pathetic thing_, she lied.

_Does anyone know?_

_They think the Ring to be lost._

_Good work my servant; I will await you beyond the black gates_.

And then it was over, whatever connection was shattered, and the stone went blank. Kali staggered backwards and fell hard on her backside, stunned and almost motionless. Legolas and Eomer ran forward and knelt at her side.

"Kali," they both said, worry in their voices. Her eyes looked blank and dark; not quite amber, not quite brown. She didn't stir, nor blink; everyone in the room held their breath with her subconsciously. A second later she breathed, then moved her wrist, blinked, and looked at their faces,

"Don't touch me,"

Legolas and Eomer both recoiled as if she had struck them; in a way, she had. Her voice was as hard as iron but as delicate as crystal. She stood on her shaky legs and walked unsteadily to the door, "He knows you're coming, I told him that much. He looks forward to it." And she left.

Kali walked down the hallway back to the sick rooms, to Eowen. The medicine woman had kicked her out when Eowen suddenly got worse, making Kali snap at her and all the people that she had passed in the hallway. When she had gotten to the Great Hall she was so mad that she had wanted to slap just about anyone, but seeing Legolas there calmed her, she had felt her anger drift away and leave depression in its place. When she left the Hall to go back to the sick rooms she realized how Legolas must have felt when she acted cold and distant to him; she wanted to go back to tell him she was sorry, she wanted to go see if Eowen was alright.

She stopped dead in the corridor, looking out of the arced window at the gardens. A stormy sky still rumbled a rolled over the city and plains, a hailed to times when the sounds of war would sweep the land. The courtyard stood pale, set in stone; but even stone may crumble. Like the pale beauty of Eowen's face, crumbling; all the life in it fading. Tears stung Kali's eyes, when the blur of tears was gone she once more looked out into the courtyard, and saw the unbelievable. _Eowen. It would be alright, everything would be alright_.

Kali sat on a bench, holding her knives and bow in her hands, waiting for the troops to leave, and thinking softly to herself. Out of the shadows on the walkway came Legolas, already dressed for battle; watching her. She looked up, her hunter senses picking up his presence and scent, she smiled lightly and stood. "Eowen recovered, but she is not well enough to fight yet. Isn't that wonderful?" He did not speak nor look her in the eyes; worry crept into her heart and mind, was he upset about her acting rudely to him? Kali opened her mouth to say- but he interrupted.

"Women do not belong in battle. Elves are different, Eowen is not an elf. She should stay here where she belongs. In the future I would advise you not to encourage her to so easily abandon her duty and rush off into battle." His eyes met hers, his a cold blue, hers startling amber. She couldn't process his words; this wasn't the elf she knew, not the one she loved. "It made you upset to see her almost on the brink of death; what made you more upset then seeing her like that was that you knew it was your fault." A sneer from him as he turned to go, "You are worthless,"

_No, no, no, no! This was wrong! _Her mind screamed, her hands over her mouth keeping her from shouting it aloud. She looked at him again as he walked away, he was about to go back down the path he had been on when she noticed it; a faint glow around him like the one she saw around the tower. _And that had shattered when I used my knives to- My knives!_ She picked them up from the bench and went after Legolas. _I hope this works…_ She unsheathed her weapons; he turned around, hearing the noise. Seeing her with her knives in hand he smirked in haughtiness, something Kali knew Legolas wouldn't do,

"You want to fight me? For what purpose?"

"You aren't Legolas, are you?" Kali pronounced; brandishing her knives, keeping a good three feet distance between him and her. He twitched and blanched, turning to get away, but she was too fast; she whirled her knives in the air quickly and brought it down on the shimmering curtain. It shattered, like before at the tower. Before her now stood, instead of Legolas, a goblin in leather armor; it was hissing and spitting though pointed teeth at her, its greedy pig-eyes blinking. Hesitating no more she sliced through it with her knives, it fell to the ground spurting blackish blood. She stood there breathing hard, knives in both hands, black blood dripping form the edges, looking down at the body of the Goblin that had almost tricked her. _Why?..._

Kali walked with the foot soldiers to the Black Gate of Mordor; thinking to herself about the events that had taken place a half hour ago. That goblin had magic cast on it by someone powerful, and that meant someone wanted to come between her and Legolas, or to place doubt in her heart. It had to be one of those reasons; and as for who… Sauron. Most likely. Was he testing her loyalty?

They halted, she could see the menacing despair of the Gate from where she stood, its dark sides reaching up high, so no one could see over it but the great eye and the birds of the sky. She looked up and saw circling high above were a flock of eagles, spiraling far above the battle in the blue sky. The horses were skittish, the men muttering, the rumble of Mordor increasing; it all blended together into a hum until,

"Kali?"

She looked up, Legolas had gotten off his horse and was now looking at her with a subtle longing; as if he wanted to talk to her in private, but now didn't have the time or place. He reached down and tenderly cupped her face in his hands, he brought his face down to hers, his gentle breath on her cheeks making her blush softly, his mouth open not forming the question he wanted to ask, instead leaving him speechless and spellbound. Kali didn't know quite what to say either, so she stood on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his. He, totally unprepared for this, took a moment to realize that _she_ was kissing _him_. Aragorn and Gimli smiled widely at seeing their friend overpowered by a girl, but were even more surprised when the elf grabbed Kali by the waist and drew her more firmly to him, deepening the kiss.

The dead rasp of the gate opening drew them apart; they watched as a single messenger came through the gate and rode over to Aragorn.

"My master, Sauron the Great bids thee welcome. Has anyone in your party come to treat with me?" it gasped and growled.

Gandalf spoke, "We did not come to treat with Sauron, faithless, and the cursed." The thing growled; showing blood and grime stained teeth. "But tell you master this," The wizard continued. "The armies of Mordor must disband; they must depart these lands never to return."

The thing smirked open-mouthed, "Oh, Old grey beard. I have a token I was bidden to show thee," He pulled out something shiny and threw it at the man. Gandalf caught it, the Hobbits stared at it in horror.

"Frodo!" exclaimed Merry,

"No!" cried Pippin.

"The Halfling was dear to you I see," Snarled the thing, "Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host." The metal-clad messenger tilted his head to the side and regarded another; Kali. "Thee, pretty girl," Kali and Legolas tensed as he rode forward slightly. "My master bid me deliver something to you," A blur of black so quick everyone missed it until it tore through Kali's neck. The small crossbow bolt had torn through her throat and lay there on the ground covered in blood.

Her heart beat slowed, time seemed to move like tree sap, Kali wanted to scream, but the air and thought wouldn't come. She struggled to regain her breath but wind wheezed and blew through her neck like a pipe with a too big hole. Legolas knelt down next to her quickly; watching in horror as blood slowly trickled out of the corner of her mouth, her face pale with death. Never had he ever been this scared of losing her, not even at Helm's Deep.

The others watched in muted shock at the sight of the girl on the ground, dead, without hope. The thing that shot her sneered and chuckled. Aragorn walked up to the messenger so that they were side by side, and swung his sword and severed the thing's head from the body. It fell to the ground with a metal clank and a wet thump. He turned back to his comrades; two scared, smaller faces looked up at him, an old, wise face with too many worry lines, a shocked dwarf, an grief-stricken elf, and a bloodstained body that lay beyond repair.

At the death of the messenger thousands, tens of thousands, came pouring out of the Black gate. Orcs, goblins, trolls, and any creature the world of light and love despises; came running out, surrounding the army of men. The Great Eye of Sauron glared at them from the peak of the tower in Mordor, the rock-strewn wasteland. Turning to his friends, Aragorn looked at them and whispered. "For Frodo," then he turned and charged headlong at the enemy. Pippin and Merry took up the call and charged, soon followed by Gimli and the army.

As the two opposing forces met, one figure ran with a body in his arms to the edge of the battle. His horse stood surrounded by trolls, whinnying and neighing in panic. Legolas cut through the brutes with his knives as he swung Kali's body around to his back. Keeping her from slipping off or getting grabbed by an orc while defending himself was one of the hardest things that the elf ever had to do; never in his many years of practice, had he ever been trained to fight while protecting a corpse.

Finally managing to cut through the Trolls he lifted Kali unto his horse and strapped her body on the saddle as best he could, and as fast; he had to get her away from the fight. Calling for the horse to break into a gallop, he cleared a path through the orcs momentarily and watched as the white horse galloped past, and away to Gondor. The inky darkness of snarling teeth and pointed metal brought him back to the fight. And he continued to attack the enemy, the darkness that had destroyed his beloved.

**Spoiler alert; the story isn't over yet. Don't hate me yet...**


	20. Forever

She was back. Great Falls Montana, her home. On 10th street, right there. The blue hose with white trim, the old wooden door painted green.

_Nana! Is she there?_

Now seeing her old home; Kali felt a pang of homesickness.

_I've just been daydreaming, there is no war. Nana, I'm home! I'm really back… right?_

A gentle breeze blew down the street, caressing her cheek just like Legolas used to…

_Why am I thinking of a fictional person? This is real life, right now, here. I need to go home._

The apartments, the trees, the chipped sidewalk, her childhood memories; they called to her from different times in her life.

_This is what I have been missing, right? _

No one walked out on the street, no one at all.

_This is what I want to come back to?_

Kali walked to the door of her house, she opened the door, it was unlocked. She went in, looking at the familiar coat rack to the left of the wooden door. "Nana, I'm home!"

Silence.

_Where is she? She is usually at home now, she works the night shift at the Hospital; she should be sleeping. _

Kali put her hand on the painted robin's egg blue banister and started up the creaky stairs. Everything felt strange and familiar, alien and comfortable. Being here was like in a dream, sort of fuzzy on the edges. Opening the door to Nana's room, Kali peered in,

_She looks like she's sleeping, _

She thought as she tiptoed into the room silently. Nearing the bed she saw her Nana sleeping quietly, white-grey hair curled out on the pillow around her. Kali leaned forward to kiss her Nana on the forehead when she heard the door click closed behind her. She quickly turned and reflexively reached for the knives that weren't there.

A shadow stood there, shifting with the air, in and out of dark corners, folds of the curtains, and under chairs till it reached Kali. She jumped back, it hissed,

_"Your precious Nana will never wake, nor will anyone in this wretched world. They are all dead. You left them all to die when you did, foolish girl. Now it's just you… and me." _

_Sauron._

Kali's mind went blank except for one thing;

"What did you do to Nana?"

Her hand gripped the stiff fingers of her guardian tightly.

_"Dead, they are all dead. Everyone died on your pathetic planet while you were gone."_

Shock and panic coursed through Kali's mind and body, her heart beat fast.

_"Now it's just you and me, forever." _

The dark hiss sent a shiver through Kali's spine. She looked up at the darkness and daringly looked it in the two pits it had for eyes.

"You'll have to catch me first,"

Legolas sat at her bedside next to Eowen and Gimli. Faramir had stopped in occasionally with Aragorn, but neither of them had stayed. Legolas had never once left the room, not talking much, not smiling. Eowen had been the same, getting up occasionally to look out the widow listlessly. Gimli was in bad spirits as well, muttering to himself and shuffling about the room.

It had been a day since she had been killed, her blood had dried, and the wound had closed too late, leaving a white scar in her neck where the cross bolt had gone through. Elrond came to stand in the doorway and watched the somber party for a moment. Then he came through and stood next to the head of the bed. No one looked at him, Gimli left the room.

Elrond carefully studied the face of the grief-stricken elf and the unmoving features of the dead girl. She was still alive. Somewhere in her mind, she was still functional, but there was a dark presence controlling it. Elrond stood back for a second then he turned to Gandalf, who stood passively in the doorway, and began to speak.

Kali ran and ran, short of breath, she stopped. She ducked to hide at the back of a dumpster in an alleyway behind a restaurant. She glanced quickly at the way she came and shrank back fast.

_It _had been following her for a day now, she had run to hiding places she knew around the town, but _It_ always seemed to find her.

A rattle and clank of metal crashing alarmed Kali, she sprang into a dead sprint again; her heart squeezing in her throbbing chest. Her head felt too hot, and her muscles burned, her throat begged for water and air. At last, she collapsed in some bushes next to a brick building and hid, breathing hard._ It_ didn't seem to be following her anymore; she turned away and breathed a sigh of relief. She saw It, then a wordless scream erupted from her terrified mouth, then the gaping maw of darkness of_ It_ blacked everything out.

"She can be saved?"

"Yes, patience, young prince."

Legolas followed Lord Elrond through the hallways to Kali's room in the house of healing; for the past hour he had bothered Elrond about the way to save Kali, but the mouth of the old elf was clamped shut. The Lord opened the door to the infirmary and within the chamber already stood Gandalf and Galadriel; they looked at the young Elf with a smile.

Galadriel glided forward and touched the prince's forehead, "With all our help she will be alright, she will need time to heal afterwards, but she will be very much alive."

"What are you going to do to help her?" asked Legolas, his brow slightly unfurrowing from relief.

Gandalf smiled and leaned on his staff, "We are going to convert her into an Elf."

_You are human now; there is nothing you can do to stop me!_ It hissed, drawing closer and closer, the darkness feeding on her fear. She could feel it eating away her soul then-

It drew back and burned at her touch. She was on fire. The flames danced warmly across her skin and lit the world in the beautiful colors of nature. It wasn't like she was trapped in a dirty city anymore; she was back in Middle Earth with Legolas.

_Legolas… _

She let the flames engulf her and draw her away from that place, as the shadow became nothing more than a shadow falling into the daylight on the pavement below.

When she drifted out of unconsciousness she sat up and took a look at her surroundings; a cavernous ceiling, wobbly walls, and fluttering floor. She swallowed her nausea and lie back down on the bed. She turned to the side and realized that someone was sleeping soundly next to her, with his eyes open.

_Legolas…_

She lifted a hand and stroked his hair, touching the tips of his ears gently; he could just disappear at any second… She continued brushing over his head for a few more seconds, losing most of her dizziness and started a little when he twitched. He turned and looked at her, her eyes were no longer the radiant amber, but rather a mixture of their original brown and the gold color, he studied her for a few seconds then took a hold of her and held her tightly to his chest.

"I thought you were dead…" He murmured, a tear wetting the shoulder of her nightdress.

"I wasn't dead, I went home." She tried to say, but it sounded wrong coming out of her mouth, as if it were a lie and she knew it.

"I held you dead in my arms Kali, please," he pulled back to look her dead in the eyes, "do not ever do that again to me, ever; as long as we both live, promise never to get yourself killed again."

Kali frowned a little, "But Legolas, I know I'm not dead anymore, I'm just human. You said, as long as we both live, that would be very long in my case, why make me promise?"

Legolas' hand came up and his finger traced the edge of her ear, Kali put her hand up to her ear and she gasped, her own fingers coming up to touch and feel the strange new shape. "We can be together forever, if you will have me," the last words sounded like a question in a near whisper.

"Yes… yes Legolas, forever."

And that's when their lives began.

** It's not the end yet! Hang in there with me!******


	21. I love you too

**Alright guys… this is the last chapter, but I might have bonus chapters at the end that I co-write with other great Fanfiction authors. One of them might be… rated M. (star-star, wink-wink, nudge-nudge (off a cliff)) But thanks for hanging on to the very end on this Fanfiction. I hope you like the end, and if you don't; read the bonus chapters or request more bonus chapters! Or a whole other Fanfiction! I'd be happy to! **

"Going so soon?" teased Kali, the young elf's voice spoke with humor, though her eyes were slightly sad. She tugged at her husband's sleeve and pouted, "A year's worth of guy time? How is that even fun?!"

Her Prince chuckled and bent to kiss her head, "It's only for a little while, and I did promise."

"Before we were married!"

A smile flitted across Legolas' face, "So I am supposed to drop everything and pay attention to you? I never knew you were so needy." He teased, stroking her hair and pecking her on the nose.

"You coming or not Elf?" Shouted Gimli from the seat of their horse, swinging his axe impatiently, almost causing the horse to panic. "It's bad enough you put it off for a year to go meet your father (curse the old fart), get married, and then make a little elf ba-"

"Enough," Legolas sighed. Kali, after meeting his father, had decided that he and Legolas had the same sigh, the same blond hair, eyes, and that was where the similarities ended. "Yes," Her husband continued, "I know I'm going to be an Ada, you do not have to repeat it, Gimli son of Gloin."

Kali put a hand to her abdomen subconsciously, strange as it was for her; she was going to have a baby in a year; since elven pregnancy lasts a year and a month. Legolas would be back before the birthing, but still; she wanted him with her this next year because it was important to both of them.

Beside her stood Eowen, her own bundle of joy on the way as well. Faramir had become Kali's close friend just like his wife, and she was glad that the two of them could at least go through this together. But not just the two of them, also Arwen, Aragorn's wife, was also expecting.

Gimli looked down at his friend from the horse, and huffed heavily, sliding (and falling) off his horse with a thunk. He puffed out his breath and hoisted himself to his feet; what he had seen made him think twice about leaving.

Legolas had his arms around Kali, whispering goodbyes over and over again, stalling until he absolutely had to go. His wife had been fidgeting and nagging him about supplies, the weather, _anything_, for the past week or so. _What if it's cold? Tell me it won't be cold! There's no dried food for the journey, can't it wait a month? _

Gimli shuffled over to them and cleared his throat; Legolas reluctantly slid his arms off Kali and turned to his short friend. "I changed my mind," The dwarf said, cutting off anything the elf would have said. People looked surprised and confused, what was the dwarf saying? "I don't want you along on a yearlong journey, your elf ways would get on my nerves, and my axe would- ah, never mind that.

But my point is, I'm not going to be taking any pointy-eared elvish princeling along with me, in fact, I think I will spend the next few years at my cousin's place near Rohan, nice place that."

He looked up at Legolas briefly, who stared at him with a hopeful look on his face, his arm halfway around his wife. Then Gimli continued, "So if I happen to stop by occasionally, it won't be for the company, but for the excellent roasted meat! And I will NOT be taking anyone with me then either, when I go back." He shuffled his feet a bit then turned to go, "That's all."

A pair of arms wrapped around the breaded dwarf and pulled him backwards. Cursing, Gimli furiously turned to see who hugged him. Legolas squeezed his friend briefly then let go, standing back up and acting like nothing ever happened.

Gimli's jaw hit the floor and Aragorn, Eowen, Faramir, and Arwen snickered quietly. The angry dwarf started yelling and roaring at the passive Elf in a massive fight between nothing. Kali bent down and kissed Gimli on the cheek and whispered, "Thanks Gimli." He stopped his yelling and mumbled and blushed beneath his beard.

After that he continued on his way alone to the plains of Rohan, leaving the three pregnant women, the King of Gondor, the Steward of Gondor, and the Prince of Mirkwood standing in silence.

It was the men who broke down laughing first.

Aragorn and Faramir bent over double and choked on their own laugh. Arwen cracked a smile and Eowen started seriously worrying for her husband. The men were ushered inside by their wives; the gates of Gondor still stood open, waiting for two.

Legolas and Kali stood with their backs to the stone city together, their hands entwined, as they watched the dwarf ride away.

"Do you think he noticed how much I didn't want to leave you?" Legolas wondered, breaking the silence.

"No, he must have noticed how much I love you, and how I _really_ didn't want you to leave." Kali said, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder.

"I will never leave you alone again, I promise."

"That's much better!"

"You were just waiting for me to say that."

"Yes." Kali looked up at him and smiled, "After all, you're my Prince, are you not?"

"Oh is that what I am?" He asked with amusement, "Then you would be my beautiful, strong, daring, warrior-princess. And I love you."

_Outside a stone city that looked like a castle, I found my happily ever after. It didn't exactly come as I had expected it to, but what the heck, does life ever do what you think it will? I found him, the love of my life, and created a new beginning for both of us; that is a good- no, amazing storybook ending. And the next four words were the ones I spoke then, _

"I love you too,"

_Are the ones that matter most to me now until forever. _

**Alright kiddos, that's the end. I'm sorry, but it's true. If you want more stay tuned! I seriously love you guys, it's been awesome. Let me know if you want me to write anything for you! Please! And I don't want to see this couple go, so I might make a whole new Fanfiction after, maybe with Legolas and Kali, Aragorn and Arwen, and Faramir and Eowen's babies... maybe. Anyway, see ya later! **


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